THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP discussion
BOOK DISCUSSIONS
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New Release Books on WW2
Uhhmmm, not to put to fine a point on it, but so is Avalon Hill. I think in fact that they are both owned by the same company now days. (at least the rights to their properties.) With Avalon Hill that would be everything shy of Squad Leader. Nick wrote: "Dj wrote: "I would have thought that SPI might have come up with something for Italy as well.
Seems they have a game for everything else. "
SPI is long-since defunct.
Strategy & Tactics magazine..."
This book is a July 2014 release which I am sure will attract some interest within this group:Hitler's Last Battles: Seelow and the Halbe Encirclement, April-May 1945
by Richard LakowskiDescription:
The battle of the Seelow Heights (16-19 April 1945), marked the last stage of the Soviets' offensive against Nazi Germany and saw the most severe fighting of the crossing of the Oder-Neisse line, between German Ninth Army and Marshal Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front. After three days and massive losses, the Soviets broke through and the Eastern Front collapsed. The Ninth Army was encircled, and in the ensuing battle of Halbe, attempted to break out to link up with other German forces. This study of the last battles of the Third Reich is drawn from original documents, maps and first-hand accounts. It also features photographs of the battlefields as they are today. This is a fascinating and powerful account of the last cataclysmic battles of the Second World War in Europe.
(Also posted in the Eastern Front thread.)
A different look at D-Day; D-Day Through French Eyes: Normandy 1944. 
by Mary Louise RobertsDescription:
Like big black umbrellas, they rain down on the fields across the way, and then disappear behind the black line of the hedges. Silent parachutes dotting the night sky - that's how one woman in Normandy in June of 1944 learned that the D-Day invasion was under way. Though they yearned for liberation, the French in Normandy nonetheless had to steel themselves for war, knowing that their homes and land and fellow citizens would have to bear the brunt of the attack. Already battered by years of Nazi occupation, they knew they had one more trial to undergo even as freedom beckoned. With D-Day through French Eyes, Mary Louise Roberts turns the usual stories of D-Day around, taking readers across the Channel to view the invasion anew. Roberts builds her history from an impressive range of gripping first-person accounts of the invasion as seen by French citizens throughout the region. A farm family notices that cabbage is missing from their garden - then discovers that the guilty culprits are American paratroopers hiding in the cowshed. Fishermen rescue pilots from the wreck of their B-17, only to struggle to find clothes big enough to disguise them as civilians. A young man learns how to estimate the altitude of bombers and to determine whether a bomb was whistling overhead or silently headed straight for them. In small towns across Normandy, civilians hid wounded paratroopers, often at the risk of their own lives. When the allied infantry arrived, they guided soldiers to hidden paths and little-known bridges, giving them crucial advantages over the German occupiers. Through story after story, Roberts builds up an unprecedented picture of the face of battle as seen by grateful, if worried, civilians. As she did in her acclaimed account of GIs in postwar France, What Soldiers Do, Roberts here reinvigorates and reinvents a story we thought we knew. The result is a fresh perspective on the heroism, sacrifice, and achievement of D-Day.
This new book sounds very interesting however the price tag may be a deterrent to some:Combat and Genocide on the Eastern Front: The German Infantry's War, 1941 - 1944
by Jeffrey RutherfordDescription:
By 1944, the overwhelming majority of the German Army had participated in the German war of annihilation in the Soviet Union and historians continue to debate the motivations behind the violence unleashed in the east. Jeff Rutherford offers an important new contribution to this debate through a study of combat and the occupation policies of three frontline infantry divisions. He shows that while Nazi racial ideology provided a legitimizing context in which violence was not only accepted but encouraged, it was the Wehrmacht's adherence to a doctrine of military necessity which is critical in explaining why German soldiers fought as they did. This meant that the German Army would do whatever was necessary to emerge victorious on the battlefield. Periods of brutality were intermixed with conciliation as the army's view and treatment of the civilian population evolved based on its appreciation of the larger context of war in the east.
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Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
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This looks to be a very interesting book especially coming from Cambridge University Press. Thanks for the post Rick.
My pleasure Geevee :)
The Washington Post's leading reviewer, Jonathan Yardley, just published this --http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinion...
Here's the book:
The Burning Shore: How Hitler's U-Boats Brought World War II to America by Ed Offley.
From today's NY Times --http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/boo...
Reviews of --
Supreme Commander: MacArthur's Triumph in Japan by Seymour Morris, Jr.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: The Making of Douglas MacArthur by Mark Perry.
Haven't read either new MacArthur book yet, but I highly recommend, on a similar topic: John Dower Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II
A well-deserved Pulitzer winner.
Nooilforpacifists wrote: "Haven't read either new MacArthur book yet, but I highly recommend, on a similar topic: John Dower Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II
A well-deser..."
I have that one, glad to hear it is a good one. Probably be my selection when we have a Far East theme read.
message 1062:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)
Not sure if this one has been called out. Caen Controversy: The Battle for Sword Beach 1944 by Andrew Stewart
Description
On 6 June 1944 British, American, Canadian and French troops landed in Normandy by air and sea. This was one of the key moments of the Second World War, a long-anticipated invasion which would, ultimately, lead to the defeat of Nazi Germany. By the day s end a lodgement had been effected and Operation OVERLORD was being hailed as a success. In reality the assault had produced mixed results and at certain points along the French coastline the position was still far from certain. The key Allied objectives had also not been captured during the first day of the fighting and this failure would have long-term consequences. Of the priority targets, the city of Caen was a vital logistical hub with its road and rail networks plus it would also act as a critical axis for launching the anticipated follow-on attacks against the German defenders. As a result an entire brigade of British troops was tasked with attempting its capture but their advance culminated a few miles short. This new book examines this significant element of the wider D-Day operation and provides a narrative account of the operations conducted by 3 British Infantry Division. It examines in some detail the planning, preparation and the landings that were made on the beaches of Sword sector. To do this it considers the previously published material and also draws upon archival sources many of which have been previously overlooked to identify key factors behind the failure to capture the city. Its publication coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Allied liberation of France.
The author
Andrew Stewart is a Senior Lecturer within the Defence Studies Department, King's College London, the academic component of the United Kingdom's Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC). Currently he is the Land Historian supporting the Higher Command and Staff Course and gives lectures and leads seminars on both conflict-related historical and contemporary issues. As a senior military history teacher he regularly leads European battlefield tours. In December 2001 he was awarded his postgraduate doctorate from the Department of War Studies, King's College London. This examined civil-military and coalition relations within the British Empire during the Second World War. A series of articles for leading academic journals have subsequently been produced and his first two books received favourable reviews. He remains a committed military historian and in addition to this volume he is also currently writing a book on British wartime planning to counter a possible German invasion which will be published in 2016 by Oxford University Press. He also acts as a 'Senior Conflict and Stabilisation Adviser' to the Stabilisation Unit, a specialist UK government body that works with fragile and post-conflict states. Married to Joanne, he lives in Oxford and enjoys watching cricket and beer tasting in his spare time.
It may have Geevee but never hurts to mention a good book twice :)
This book is due out for release in August 2014 and may have to go on my wish list. I am pretty sure it will interest other members here in the group:
by Robert J. KershawDescription:
Robert Kershaw follows up his best-selling account of the Battle of Arnhem from German eyes - It Never Snows in September - to focus on the experiences the Dutch civilians and British and German soldiers in one street fighting to survive at the heart of one of the most intense battles of World War 2. A Street in Arnhem tells the story of the battle of Arnhem in September 1944 from the perspective of what could be seen or heard from the Utrechtseweg, a road that runs seven kilometres from the Arnhem railway station west to Oosterbeek. This stretch of road saw virtually every major event during the fighting for Arnhem during Operation Market-Garden in September 1944. The story is about the disintegration of a wealthy Dutch suburb caught up unexpectedly in the war it had escaped for so long. The war had thus far been kind to Oosterbeek and its swift liberation on 17th September suggested they might well escape the abject misery inflicted on so many other unfortunate European communities. The book charts the steady destruction of a well established and exclusive rural community, where wealthy Dutch holiday makers had relaxed enjoying its rural delights before the war. It was a popular hotel destination. The destruction of this pretty village is charted through the eyes of British, Polish and German soldiers fighting amid its confused and horrified Dutch inhabitants. It portrays a collage of human experiences, sights, sounds, visceral fears and emotion as ordinary people seek to cope when their street is so suddenly and unexpectedly overwhelmed in a savage battle, in which the heaviest weapons of the day were employed. Robert Kershaw's new research reveals the extent to which most people in this battle, whether soldiers or civilians, saw only what was immediately happening to them. They had virtually no idea of what was going on around them. It offers a unique picture of a stable community coping with a disaster progressing through joy, shock, horror, resignation and then despair as their lives are irrevocably ruined by the conflagration bursting over them. Many original Dutch, German and English accounts have been unearthed through interviews, diary accounts and letters. Post combat reports have been discovered charting the same incidents from both sides as well giving the Dutch civilian perspective. The story is told as a docudrama following the fortunes of a number of British, Polish, German and Dutch characters, within a gripping narrative format. This tale will resonate with any reader. Holland had not witnessed conflict since the Napoleonic wars. What happens when your street, where you have lived for generations is suddenly overwhelmed by conflict? A Street in Arnhem tells that story and provides some of the answers.
Another new release due out soon covering the fighting for one of the bridges during Operation Market Garden:
by Frank Van LunterenDescription:
Operation Market Garden has been recorded as a complete Allied failure in World War II, an overreach that resulted in an entire airborne division being destroyed at its apex. However, within that operation were episodes of heroism that still remain unsung.On September, 17, 1944, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, floated down across the Dutch countryside, in the midst of German forces, and proceeded to fight their way to vital bridges to enable the Allied offensive to go forward. The 101st Airborne was behind them; the British 1st Airbourne was far advanced. In the 82nd s sector the crucial conduits needed to be seized.The Germans knew the importance of the bridge over the Waal River at Nijmegen as well as James Gavin and his 82nd troopers did. Thus began a desperate fight for the Americans to seize it, no matter what the cost. The Germans would not give, however, and fought tenaciously in the town and fortified the bridge. On September 20 Gavin turned his paratroopers into sailors and conducted a deadly daylight amphibious assault in small plywood and canvas craft across the Waal River to secure the north end of the highway bridge in Nijmegen. German machine guns and mortars boiled the water on the crossing, but somehow a number of paratroopers made it to the far bank. Their ferocity thence rolled up the German defenses, and by the end of day the bridge had fallen. This book draws on a plethora of previously unpublished sources to shed new light on the exploits of the Devils in Baggy Pants by Dutch author and historian Frank van Lunteren. A native of Arnhem the site of The Bridge too Far the author draws on nearly 130 interviews he personally conducted with veterans of the 504th, plus Dutch civilians and British and German soldiers, who here tell their story for the first time.
They both look good, Rick. Thanks for making my to-read list even longer!
I love to help and also share the pain :)
Today's NY Times features a dual review of --
No End Save Victory: How FDR Led the Nation into War by David Kaiserand
Japan 1941 by Eri Hotta.I like this except from the review of Kaiser's book:
"If this volume were your only source on the disaster of Dec. 7, 1941, you would not know how many of our fellow citizens (probably a growing number in these times when many people — agitated, in some cases, by talk radio hosts — seek to explain complicated events through malign conspiracies) insist that a warmongering Roosevelt was its eager architect."
Here are the reviews:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/boo...
Thanks for the link to those reviews Manray9. I have had Japan 1941 on my radar for some time but have not committed to buying a copy yet.
This new book by Leo McKinstry is due out in August 2014 and it looks like it may be a pretty interesting account:
by Leo McKinstryDescription:
In the summer of 1940, the Nazi war machine was at its zenith. France, Denmark, Norway and the Low Countries were all under occupation after a series of lightning military campaigns. Only Britain stood in the way of the complete triumph of Nazi tyranny. But for the first time in the war, Hitler did not prevail. The traditional narrative of 1940 holds that Britain was only saved from German conquest by the pluck of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. The image of Dad's Army recruits training with broomsticks is a classic symbol of the nation's supposed desperation in the face of the threat from Operation Sealion, as the German plan for invasion was code-named. Yet as Leo McKinstry details, the British were far more ruthless and proficient than is usually recognised. The brilliance of the RAF was not an exception but part of a pattern of magnificent organisation. In almost every sphere of action, such as the destruction of the French naval fleet or the capture of German spies, Britain's approach reflected an uncompromising spirit of purpose and resolution. Using a wealth of primary materials from both British and German archives, Leo McKinstry provides a ground-breaking new assessment of the six fateful months in mid-1940, beginning with Winston Churchill's accession to power in May and culminating in Germany's abandonment of Operation Sealion.
Thanks Aussie Rick--have added "SeaLion" to my TBR.
Having read this authors book on Cassino I dare say I will also get a copy of his latest title on the Ardennes:
by Peter Caddick-AdamsDescription:
Between December 16, 1944 and January 15, 1945, American forces found themselves entrenched in the heavily forested Ardennes region of Belgium, France, and Luxembourg defending against an advancing German army amid freezing temperatures, deep snow, and dense fog. Operation Herbstnebel--Autumn Mist--was a massive German counter-offensive that stunned the Allies in its scope and intensity. In the end, the 40-day long Battle of the Bulge, as it has come to be called, was the bloodiest battle fought by U.S. forces in World War II, and indeed the largest land battle in American history. Before effectively halting the German advance, some 89,000 of the 610,000 American servicemen committed to the campaign had become casualties, including 19,000 killed.
The engagement saw the taking of thousands of Americans as prisoners of war, some of whom were massacred by the SS--but it also witnessed the storied stand by U.S. forces at Bastogne as German forces besieged the region and culminated in a decisive if costly American victory. Ordered and directed by Hitler himself--against the advice of his generals--the Ardennes offensive was the last major German offensive on the Western Front. In the wake of the defeat, many experienced German units were left severely depleted of men and equipment. Its last reserve squandered, these irreplaceable losses would hasten the end of the war.
In Snow and Steel, Peter Caddick-Adams draws on interviews with over 100 participants of the campaign, as well as archival material from both German and US sources, to offer an engagingly written and thorough reassessment of the historic battle. Exploring the failings of intelligence that were rife on both sides, the effects of weather, and the influence of terrain on the battle's outcome, Caddick-Adams deftly details the differences in weaponry and doctrine between the US and German forces, while offering new insights into the origins of the battle; the characters of those involved on both the American and German sides, from the general staff to the foot soldiers; the preparedness of troops; and the decisions and tactics that precipitated the German retreat and the American victory. Re-examining the SS and German infantry units in the Bulge, he shows that far from being deadly military units, they were nearly all under-strength, short on equipment, and poorly trained; kept in the dark about the attack until the last minute, they fought in total ignorance of their opponents or the terrain. Ultimately, Caddick-Adams concludes that the German assault was doomed to failure from the start.
Aided by an intimate knowledge of the battlefield itself and over twenty years of personal battlefield experience, Caddick-Adams has produced the most compelling and complete account of the Bulge yet written.
A February 2015 release:
by Vincent HuntDescription:
The German occupation of Norway began on on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Hitler’s scorched earth policy in northern Norway in 1944 flattened every building and forced 50,000 people from their homes in an Arctic winter. Some Norwegians escaped the evacuation, with whole communities sheltering in caves in sometimes desperate conditions. This book presents stories never before told in English using new interviews from families caught in the scorched earth policy. Contributors include Soroya Island refugees rescued from starvation by the Royal Navy and the sons of six fishermen murdered by Nazi commandos hours before the war ended. After the war, many returned to rebuild their obliterated communities. Their stories sit alongside the testimony at Nuremberg of the generals who devastated their land, plus long-forgotten evidence of unspeakable Nazi cruelty towards Russian POWs in Norway.
Here is something a little different that may interest some members of the group:
Another Man's War: The Story of a Burma Boy in Britain's Forgotten Army by Barnaby PhillipsDescription:
At age sixteen Isaac Fadoyebo ran away from his West African village to join the British Army. The Second World War was raging, and Nigeria's colonial masters were desperate to find men to defend the Empire. He was taking breakfast deep in the Burmese jungle when the Japanese ambushed his unit and left him for dead. With the help of a local family he survived, but in every other way Isaac was forgotten, all the more so as Nigeria struggled to come to terms with newfound independence. Yet Isaac could not forget the debt he owed to the Burmese family, now trapped in a simmering sectarian conflict. In Another Man's War, veteran foreign correspondent Barnaby Phillips delivers the gripping, unforgettable story of a Burma Boy in the Second World War and the legacy of the British Empire in Africa and Asia.
Another new book that looks pretty good and may interest a few members here in the group:
The Imperial Japanese Army: The Invincible Years 1941-42 by Bill YenneDescription:
Just as the German blitzkrieg stunned the world in 1939-1940, so too did the Japanese blitzkrieg of 1941-1942. The German offensives which crushed Poland in 1939 and swallowed most of Western Europe in less than two months in 1940 have been well documented and heavily studied. The overall picture of the remarkable Japanese offensive land campaign has received less attention.This book addresses the need for an overview of the years when the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) was conducting its equally unstoppable ground campaign in the Far East outside China.Most of the attention in previous books on the history of the War in the Pacific had focused on naval battles between the US Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), and on the island campaign. Unlike most other works on the topic, which look at the campaign from an Allied perspective, this one will be told from the Japanese point of view. There will also be a great deal of background and biographical information on Japanese commanders, including Homma and Yamashita, as well as others.
Added TBR. An interesting approach to the early years of the war, AR.
I'm going to have to get that book.My heavily-researched novel, HOLD BACK THE SUN (Amazon US http://goo.gl/UbkSQX UK http://goo.gl/j2E7RO2) covers the Japanese conquest of the Dutch East Indies from both the Allied and Japanese points of view. The fight put up by the U.S. Asiatic Fleet as well as the Dutch armed forces are highlighted. You might also find it interesting.
Hi, For those of you who missed my husband, Georg Rauch's self-published WWII memoir, I'm happy to tell you that it was picked up by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. The new title is Unlikely Warrior, A Jew in Hitler's Army, and it is scheduled for release next February. It will be included in both the young adult and adult catalogs. Thirty years ago we wrote this book together and it's wonderful to know that it will finally reach the much wider audience that it deserves.
message 1082:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)
Hi Phyllis, Thanks for posting this and good luck with the book's release.
Sounds like an interesting book Phyllis, lots of luck with its launch in February.
In line with the July theme read, I would like to tell you of my Father in law, Oscar Weber. He is the hero in my book, " From Shaniko to Pearl Harbor "Oscar was in the Navy for 40 years. An excerpt from the book that shows you what a real man he was follows.
Of course Dad's antics occasionally got him into trouble. Once, while he was out rescuing dummy torpedoes dropped on practice runs, by some of our airplanes, one of the two man planes got into trouble. It was apparent that the airplane was going to crash, and it was necessary to let the navigator parachute out first. The pilot panicked and threw his canopy back, trapping the navigator in his seat. The pilot bailed out and parachuted to safety, but Oscar saw the plane crash and knew the navigator had died. Oscar was sent a signal to pick up the pilot, but he ignored the signal. He was then in trouble for ignoring the signal, but he told the officers, "I figured the s.o.b. could swim to shore. He had just killed his shipmate and that is never the way the Navy has behaved in my lifetime."
Here is another new release due out in a few months time that I am sure will interest a few members here in the group:
(no cover at the moment) Stout Hearts: The British and Canadians in Normandy 1944 by Ben Kite"Stout Hearts is a book which offers an entirely new perspective on the British Army in Normandy. This fresh study explores the anatomy of war through the Army's operations in the summer of 1944, informing and entertaining the general non-fiction reader as well as students of military history. There have been so many books written on Normandy that the publication of another one might appear superfluous. However most books have focused on narrating the conduct of the battle, describing the factors that influenced its outcome, or debating the relative merits of the armies and their generals. What was missing from the existing body of work on Normandy specifically and the Second World War generally is a book that explains how an army actually operates in war and what it was like for those involved, ""Stout Hearts"" fills this gap. ""Stout Hearts"" is essential reading for those who wish to understand the 'mechanics' of battle. How does an Army care for its wounded? How do combat engineers cross obstacles? How do tanks fight? How do Air and Naval Forces support the Army? But to understand what makes an Army 'tick' you must also understand its people. Therefore explanations of tactics and techniques are not only well illustrated with excellent photographs and high quality maps but also effectively combined with relevant accounts from the combatants themselves. These dramatic stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things are the strength of the book, bringing the campaign to life and entertaining the reader. Dr Rob Johnson, Director Changing Character of Warfare programme, Oxford University '[Ben Kite] has clearly used his widespread experience of seeing a modern Army in action on operations to think carefully about the anatomy of a military force and how each of component elements can work together to produce victory. He has succeeded in getting beyond the narrative of events and explains clearly how and why units function as they do, using first-hand accounts of participants to bring the text to life wonderfully.' Lieutenant-General Tim Evans, Former Commandant Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 'I would happily recommend it to officer cadets as well as junior officers alike as essential reading'. Normandy veterans' comments - Field Marshal the Lord Bramall, 'A fine book, comprehensive and well written'; Major Joe Lawler Brown 'A very fine book, ably thought out and extremely well researched. It reads well and holds attention and interest...It will certainly rank amongst the best books on the conduct of the Second World War and I wish I could have had a copy in 1943 when I was first commissioned!' Major Jack Swaab 'Amazingly well researched, the gun drill for the 25 pounder for instance was spot - on and brought memories flooding back'."
An October release:
by William H. Bartsch Description:
Following their rampage through Southeast Asia and the Pacific in the five months after Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces moved into the Solomon Islands, intending to cut off the critical American supply line to Australia. But when they began to construct an airfield on Guadalcanal in July 1942, the Americans captured the almost completed airfield for their own strategic use.
The Japanese Army countered by sending to Guadalcanal a reinforced battalion under the command of Col. Kiyonao Ichiki. The attack that followed would prove to be the first of four attempts by the Japanese over six months to retake the airfield, resulting in some of the most vicious fighting of the Pacific War.
During the initial battle on the night of August 20–21, 1942, Marines wiped out Ichiki’s men, who—imbued with “victory fever”—had expected a quick and easy victory.
William H. Bartsch draws on correspondence, interviews, diaries, memoirs, and official war records, including those translated from Japanese sources, to offer an intensely human narrative of the failed attempt to recapture Guadalcanal’s vital airfield.
I think the title is a bit of a misnomer. Maybe the first large scale Japanese defeat on land but certainly not the first.
Looks like it will be a very interesting book Jerome, thanks for the details. I think some Australians would take a slight objection to the sub title :)http://ww2today.com/5th-september-42-...
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle...
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Looks like it will be a very interesting book Jerome, thanks for the details. I think some Australians would take a slight objection to the sub title :)http://ww2today.com/5th-september-42-......"
No matter about the facts, Americans are convinced we did everything first and better. :-)
What you mean we didn't? Dang, have to go back and fact check those history books again. LOL. Manray9 wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Looks like it will be a very interesting book Jerome, thanks for the details. I think some Australians would take a slight objection to the sub title :)
http://ww2today.com/5..."
message 1092:
by
Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
(new)
Manray9 wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Looks like it will be a very interesting book Jerome, thanks for the details. I think some Australians would take a slight objection to the sub title :)http://ww2today.com/5..."
:)
Here is a book due out in September that I am looking forward to and I'm sure it may interest a few members here in the group:
Australia’s Few and the Battle of Britain by Kristen Alexander
looks interesting ARI wonder just how widely available it will be.
Good question Happy, hopefully Amazon will stock it after September.
message 1096:
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Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces
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A very worthwhile subject and let's hope it does them proud.
The author is local and has written two other books on Australian pilots in WW2 so I have high hopes for this title.
Rick, I've written three books on Aussie pilots now. Australia's Few and the Battle of Britain will be my fourth. Happy, it will be widely available in Australia and New Zealand, Alexander Fax Booksellers will do mail order anywhere www.alexanderfaxbooks.com.au and there will be an ebook. Amazon should have it and in due course, Pen & Sword will publish it in UK. So, lots of opportunities to get a hold of it. Hope you enjoy it when you do. Cheers, Kristen
A September release:
by Gene Eric SaleckerDescription:
In May 1944, with American forces closing in on the Japanese mainland, the Fifth Fleet Amphibious Force was preparing to invade Saipan. Control of this island would put enemy cities squarely within range of the B-29 bomber. The navy had assembled a fleet of landing ship tanks (LSTs) in the West Loch section of Pearl Harbor. On May 21, an explosion tore through the calm afternoon sky, spreading fire and chaos through the ordnance-packed vessels. When the fires had been brought under control, six LSTs had been lost, many others were badly damaged, and more than 500 military personnel had been killed or injured. To ensure the success of those still able to depart for the invasion—miraculously, only one day late—the navy at once issued a censorship order, which has kept this disaster from public scrutiny for seventy years.
The Second Pearl Harbor is the first book to tell the full story of what happened on that fateful day. Military historian Gene Salecker recounts the events and conditions leading up to the explosion, then re-creates the drama directly afterward: men swimming through flaming oil, small craft desperately trying to rescue the injured, and subsequent explosions throwing flaming debris everywhere. With meticulous attention to detail the author explains why he and other historians believe that the official explanation for the cause of the explosion, that a mortar shell was accidentally detonated, is wrong.
This in-depth account of a little-known incident adds to our understanding of the dangers during World War II, even far from the front, and restores a missing chapter to history.
Kristen wrote: "Rick, I've written three books on Aussie pilots now. Australia's Few and the Battle of Britain will be my fourth. Happy, it will be widely available in Australia and New Zealand, Alexander Fax Book..."I forgot about your third book, sorry :)
THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP
Books mentioned in this topic
Empire of Ashes: Truman, Hirohito, and the Descent into Total War (other topics)Empire of Ashes: Truman, Hirohito, and the Descent into Total War (other topics)
1942: Hitler's Gamble for Victory (other topics)
1942: Hitler's Gamble for Victory (other topics)
Greyhounds of the Pacific: U.S. Destroyers in the War Against Japan (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
James M. Scott (other topics)James M. Scott (other topics)
Richard Hargreaves (other topics)
Richard Hargreaves (other topics)
Andrew Faltum (other topics)
More...
Seems they have a game for everything else. "
SPI is long-since defunct.
Strategy & Tactics magazine had a game on the Italian campaign but it only covered about a year and it was somewhat abstract.
MMP has had a campaign on the Italian Campaign as of the Anzio breakout but that has been lingering a long while and I wouldn't hold my breath.
The problem with the Italian Campaign as a subject for simulation is that it is extremely episodic: long periods of not much movement, followed by brief periods of helter-skelter.