'Aussie Rick'’s Comments (group member since Jun 12, 2009)

'Aussie Rick'’s comments from the THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP group.

This new release arrived in the morning mail today: "Mosquito Men: The Elite Pathfinders of 627 Squadron" by David Price.

Mosquito Men: The Elite Pathfinders of 627 Squadron by David Price

Great post Jonny, and yes, it did remined me of someone :)

I hope you continue to enjoy the book. I found it quite a good account of the Holocaust.

For those interested in the movie "Devotion" this may be of interest in regard to historical accuracy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBXGK...

"On the Knife Edge: How Germany Lost the First World War" - A quote from the heading for chapter 3:

"He is too mediocre a fellow, this great commander and idol of the people ... Never before has a man been so widely celebrated for demonstrating so little intellectual and physical effort." - Max Hoffmann on Hindenburg, 18 August 1916.

On the Knife Edge: How Germany Lost the First World War by Holger Afflerbach

Happy to help Jonny 😂😂😂

Simon wrote: "The story I like is Churchill and Brook glaring at each other and pounding the table with their fists. WSC says to Ismay, Brookie hates me I can see it in his eyes. Ismay repeats this to Brook, who..."

Great story Simon!

Simon wrote: "Interesting AR, I have Alan Brooke: Churchill's Right-Hand Critic: A Reappraisal of Lord Alanbrooke Hardcover – 31 Mar. 2021
by Andrew Sangster on the TBR pile. Enjoyed the War Diaries. Also on TBR..."

I am yet to read a full biography on Alanbrooke so I am hoping it will be an interesting account.

I'm following Dimitri and have just started reading this book; "On the Knife Edge: How Germany Lost the First World War" by Holger Afflerbach.

On the Knife Edge: How Germany Lost the First World War by Holger Afflerbach

Thanks for that information Boudewijn, sad news!

I couldn't help myself and already placed an order for this January 2023 release; "Alanbrooke the Reluctant Warrior" by Julian Horrocks.

Alanbrooke the Reluctant Warrior by Julian Horrocks
Description:
As Chief of the Imperial General Staff and chairman of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee, Alanbrooke was principal military advisor to Churchill for most of the Second World War and one of the chief architects of Anglo-American strategy. He also played a crucial role in saving the British Expeditionary Force in France in May 1940 and was Montgomery’s immediate superior throughout WW2.

Whilst Alanbrooke the soldier and strategist has been covered by historians, Alanbrooke the man is unexplored territory. This book reveals – for the very first time – his complex and contradictory character and presents him in a markedly different, and more sympathetic, light to the way he has been portrayed since 1945.

Based on a detailed analysis of Alanbrooke’s war diary, it also identifies the lessons which could have been learnt from his experiences in World War Two: these include the difficult relationship that exists between political and military leaders, the weaknesses of politicians (notably Churchill) and the invaluable template created by Alanbrooke as to how military leaders should handle their political masters. The importance of these lessons is illustrated by showing how some of the mistakes made in WW2 were repeated in the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Simon wrote: "I'd second Abe as a good seller. Rarer books, out of print, and when I'm trying to avoid getting from the USA.

(being part owned by Amazon (?) seems to upset some people, not me) A complete set of..."

Yep, you pick up some good gems there and mostly at reasonable prices.

Anglo-Danophile wrote: "I would strongly recommend AbeBooks for used books, including old and rare books: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/"

A good source for books!

Glad you picked up a good recommendation Zach!

Sounds like some very interesting books there Michał! My wife is very happy that I can only speak/read one language - cuts down on the number of books I can buy!

I couldn't access that link MR9 but I checked online and saw a few video's of the incident - what a terrible accident!

I really like the quality of Folio Edition books, just a tad pricey at times, but I always keep my eye out for editions in secondhand book shops I visit :)

Glad to hear you are enjoying the book Jonny, even while dodging those spears!

Boudewijn wrote: "I've read the *new* Hastings, about the Cuban missile crisis. Here is my review, for anyone interested:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[bookcover:The Abyss: Nuclear Crisis Cuba ..."

Great review, thanks for sharing with the group!

Two good books there Marc and Boudewijn! I have Jeffrey Cox's series on the Java Sea campaign but have not read any of the books yet so I will be keen to hear how you go.

Hi Zach and welcome to the group. I'm sure you will be hit with a few recommendations very shortly :)

One of my favourite WW2 first-hand accounts is this book:

In Deadly Combat: A German Soldier's Memoir of the Eastern Front by Gottlob Herbert Bidermann