What are you reading at the moment?

Nazism and War - Richard Bessel

The argument which runs throough this book, was that the Nazis were only in it for a war, it would not matter with whom the war was fought but that there was a war.

The book itself, is a academic work designed for uni students ands so can be as dry as dust! But nevertheless, it still is a significant contribution to the understanding of the purpose of teh Nazi state.

 

Dragonfly - Bryan Burrough

Sub-title NASA and the Crisis aboard Mir.

Interesting book baout the accidnet with the Mir station when it was struck by a supply spacecraft.

What is also interesting is the description of the politics surrounding the entire NASA/Mir project. The author goes into great detail about how the astronauts were picked for the various missions. it was down to one man, which meant he had great pwoer over NASA.

It is also worthwile mentioning that although the author goes into the incident in great length, quite a few days of transcripts were not handed over to him under the Freedom of Information and so he could not present a full picture of what occured.

 

A Kings Story - HRH The Duke of Winsor

This is a first edition and although an old book, it is a book that this author has been trying to find for years. I have seen it being quoted by others but never read it until I found it lying on top of a pile of books in a charity shop!

In the book, the Duke attempts to give his side of the story. It is a fascinating read, full of self deprecating humour and interesting tittle tattle about the then Royal family.

 

I'm like a moth attracted to a light - I flit from one shiny new book to the next (more often than not I haven't finished the one I'm reading!)

I've just receieved two new books in the post.

I managed to pick a relatively (!) cheap copy of The Other Few: Bomber and Coastal Command Operations in the Battle of Britain which is better than I expected. It's not one to read cover to cover because the majority of it is a daily record of that period. But it is a must for anyone interested in the BoB because it covers what is often omitted in most histories that concentrate on Fighter Command. There are some great photos in it too. Unfortunately I had to pass on a copy that has been signed by 15 or so veterans (including one of the 112 CGM winners) as £95 was a little steep even for me. Large sections of it can be read here:

The Other Few: Bomber and Coastal ... - Google Book Search

The other book that I've spent today reading is Amazon.co.uk: Shot Down and In The Drink: RAF and Commonwealth Aircrews Saved from the Sea, 1939-1945: Books: Graham Pitchfork which is a very good book. It's divided into two main sections The first covers the history of the RAF Air-Sea Rescue Service, and details the types of equipment and training received by the rescuers and the air crews. It uses a lot of the original manuals and photos to highlight exactly how things developed as aviation medicine found out more about what happened to ditched crews.

The second section deals with the different theatres of the war and I haven't reached that part yet. But flicking through I read some interesting individual stories.

I'd recommend the book.

 

Don't forget to post in the "fascinating little snippet I thought I'd share" thread if you come across anything particularly, um, fascinating!

 

Taking a little break from going on anti-shipping strikes over the Med before getting stuck into Gibbs' Not Peace but a Sword so am reading A Gremlin On My Shoulder - The Story of an Australian Firghter Pilot by Ron Cundy DFC, DFM, MID. He flew with 260 Sqn RAF and 452 Sqn RAAF.

154 pages but 18 of those good little appendices and index but main story is chock a block full of good detail (having flicked through it).

 

Bargin books

I went into a local charity shop to see what books they had! Sitting on one side was a pile of books waiting to be sorted. Amongst that pile i found the following,

The Third Reich - a new History by Micheal Burleigh
Germany turns Eastward by Micheal Burleigh
Operation Sealion by Peter Fleming
Siegfried - the Nazis last stand by Charles Whiting
The Battle of Hurtgen Forest by Charles Whiting
Ghost Force - the Secret History of the SAS by Ken Connor

All brand spanking new, with only Ghost Force having slight damage to its spine and all for a whooping 13.gbp or 27aud! I now have enough books for a week!

 

You arsey basket!

That's about six months' reading for me...at least! Sad really.

 

Under the Wire - William Ash

Ash was a Texan who joined the RCAF at the start of the war. I was interested to find out that by joining the RCAF and other commonwealth forces, Americans were stripped of their passports and Citizenship.

After training in Canada he was posted to 411 Sqn flying spitfires. he took part in the fighting during the Channel Dash.

He describes a funny incident as part of this time with 411 sqn. They were tasked to proivide top cover are a converted merchantman, who had been fitted with a false wooden deck to make it look like a aircraft carrier. it was designed to lure German aircraft to attack it. This duly happened and for a few days they had constant battles with both fighters and bombers that were attacking the "carrier". Then one day a stuka broke away and gallantly flew close to the ship and dropped a bomb, it was a dud and so the bomb disposal chaps got hold of it and discovered it was wooden! So a wooden bomb for a wooden ship!

In March 1942, he was shot down over France and began a three year stint in POW camps and his life in the camps formes the main part of the book. after trying to make his escape, he was picked up and was put into a escapre line, where he spent a month in Paris but was eventually captured and interrogated by the Gestapo.

he was threatened with death but was saved by the Lufwaffe who took him from the gestapo and placed him in Stalag Luft III, made famous by the "Great Escape".

Life in camps was one of thinking about food and counteracting the boredom, because as a officer, he was not required to work. His mind turned to escape. Time and time again he tried and was recaptured and ended up in the cooler for a weeks at a time.

he even swapped places with a Sgt in order to go to a another camp in Lithuania, for were he escaped and made his way to the coast and to a set of boat houses from which he could steal a boat. So far, so good, but as he points out, he knew nothing about sailing and he needed help to get the boat out of the boathouse. So, he looked around for help and so a group of peasants digging in a field. Having enlisted the help of some other peasants earlier on in his escape, he thought that he would try it again! he appoarched the diggers and tried to explain using his texan drawl and hand signs that he was needing help!


"...I decided that honesty was the best policy. I took a deep breath, and in my best Texan, supported by rather theatrical mime gestures, explained that I was an escaped American pilot, shot down by the Luftwaffe, and that i was trying to get the boat out to go to Sweden.

The diggers exchanged glances and then one wearily stopped digging and rested his hands on the top of his spade, eyeing me with something approaching pity. he spoke rather good if heavily accented English.

Yes, we would love to help you, but we are soliders of the German army, and you are standing on our cabbages..."

he was eventually taken back to Stalag Luft III in time for the Great Escape but was in hospital at the time. However he was present when it was announced that fifty of the seventy six who had escaped, had been shot while attempting to escape".

he eventually became part of the escape committe and used his hard won skills to help others escape.

The most moving part was the death march, the prisioners were formed up and given red cross parcels and marched off, no one seemed to know where they were going and soon the food and water situation was bad, no one had provided anything for the prisioners. he describes one german couple who started a soup kitchen to feed the prisioners.

Eventually, he was freed and flown back to England. he was discharged and joined the BBC, he spent the rest of life in London.

A very good read full of interesting stories and observations on prison camp life.

 

That's another one added to my list. Cheers Morse

 

Yeah, bloody thanks Morse, as though the list wasn't long enough!

 

Im finishing Frontsoldaten by Steven Fritz right now. I just got Guy Sajer's The Forgotten Soldier, which I can hardly wait to read.

 

Hi All,

I'm reading D-day Plus One: Shot Down and on the Run in France by Frank "Dutch" Holland.

I had the pleasure of being at the next table in the IWM marquis at Duxford where Dutch was signing his book. An absolute gentleman with a genuine ability to tell a tale.

Cheers

Owen

 

That's another book that I've got on my wishlist. What first attracted me was the description on Amazon:

Amazon.co.uk: D-day Plus One: Shot Down and on the Run in France: Books: Frank 'Dutch' Holland; Adam Wilkins

 

Oh dear, I just found Day of the Typhoon in the shops here after swooning over it on the net (didn't buy it) and now hear of another Tiffie book. Thanks Owen, you're as bad as Kyt to my credit card!

Finally, happily, reading Not Peace but a Sword by W/C Patrick Gibbs DSO, DFC and Bar. You should see the smile on my face at finally getting to read his first book!

 

Just finished reading 'Surviving the Sword' by Brian MacArthur. All about the FEPOW's. What a super book, with plenty of eye witness accounts. It had me in tears at times and especially when they were rescued and got back home.
Have now just picked up 'The twenty-five Days' by John Masefield. which is about the 25 days of Dunkirk. Written just after the event it was banned from full publication until 1972.

Sniper

 

What happened to your Sunderland pic, Sniper?

 

Still trying to read Nemesis but keep getting distracted. I receieved a copy of The Remorseless Road: Singapore to Nagasaki by James McEwan from Andy. Cheers mate.

And Kitty recommended Barnes Wallis' Bombs: Tallboy, Dambuster and Grand Slam which I picked up a couple of days ago. It's nearly 500 (!) pages long and looks very comprehensive. It should compiment the 618 Squadron history nicely

Book Review - Barnes Wallis' Bombs Tallboy, Dambuster & Grand Slam

 

My work here is done! :Booty:

 

Can't seem to add the pic to my signiture Andy, any ideas?

Sniper eep: