Just when you thought SFWA couldn't make themselves more irrelevant they do

Science Fiction Writers of America abuses the DMCA. Somebody needs to walk the plank over this.

Eva and Adolf by Glenn B. Infield

Eva and Adolf by Glenn B. Infield is nominally a biography of Eva Braun. While reading this something was bugging me. It just didn't sound right. Some quick research and it became apparent why. Infield was apparently quite infamous for cooking sources. There is also an amazing amount of material from Braun's point of view even though there doesn't seem to be any sourcing.

Not recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.



For more WWII book reviews take a look at My World War II bookshelf.

My Battle of Algiers: A Memoir by Ted Morgan

My Battle of Algiers: A Memoir by Ted Morgan Is a memoir of the authors a journalists experience in the French military. He was conscripted. After going through basic training he ended up in a dysfunctional unit where he ended up beating a prisoner to death. After this he was transferred to Algiers to work on a propaganda newspaper. The book contains an excellent short history of the conflict from beginning to end.

The question of torture comes up quite a bit.Morgan suggests that it was successful but destroyed French legitimacy. He doesn't discuss how much time was wasted chasing down bad information extracted. A very interesting look at the Algerian war.

Recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.



For more reviews take a look at My Insurgency/Counterinsurgency, Partisan and Guerrilla Warfare bookshelf.

Fire And Stone: The Science of Fortress Warfare 1660-1860 by Christopher Duffy

Fire And Stone: The Science of Fortress Warfare 1660-1860 by Christopher Duffy is an excellent history of fortifications. The book describes the selection of a site for fortification, the building, design, armament and siege tactics. There are quite a few references to the French architect Vauban. There are photos and illustrations on just about every page that help explain the often technical descriptions. There's a glossary as well as suggestions for war gaming and visiting fortifications today. There are substantial notes and a bibliography. Sadly not much in English. There's an earlier volume on early modern fortifications I'll be picking up as well.

Highly recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

Killing Hitler: The Plots, The Assassins, and the Dictator Who Cheated Death by Roger Moorhouse

Killing Hitler: The Plots, The Assassins, and the Dictator Who Cheated Death by Roger Moorhouse as the title suggests this is a history of various assassination attempts against Adolf Hitler. Coverage is not only of the well-known General's plot but also consists of various obscure attempts and considered attempts. There's superb background information on unusual plots and on Hitler's security. There is an excellent section on the Polish resistance to the Germans. The Polish resistance is all but unknown in the West I was unaware of it. The book is well worth it just for this chapter. Moorhouse spent quite a bit of time in the archives as well.

Highly recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.



For more WWII book reviews Take a look at My World War II bookshelf.

Superb US soldiers blog from Iraq

Truly excellent stuff, Army of Dude.

Red Mutiny: Eleven Fateful Days on the Battleship Potemkin by Neal Bascomb

Red Mutiny: Eleven Fateful Days on the Battleship Potemkin by Neal Bascomb is a history of this famous action in the attempted Russian revolution of 1905. Bascomb starts out by saying that he is writing an unbiased history. Apparently he believes in the concept of a historian as an unbiased observer. This seems rather silly. The description of the treatment of the sailors prior to the mutiny is very well-done as well as the reaction of the Russian czar. However Bascomb tends to lean a little heavy on fictional reconstruction. There's internal monologue of individuals as well as a substantial amount of direct quotes. Much of these are not footnoted. The book contains short biographies of important individuals, notes and a large bibliography which I will be using to track down more material.

Recommended with caveats. Definitely more of a "popular history" then scholarly.

I can stop if I want to....

Seen on Andrew Wheeler's blog.

61%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Mingle² - Dating Site

How to Lose a Battle: Foolish Plans and Great Military Blunders by Bill Fawcett

How to Lose a Battle: Foolish Plans and Great Military Blunders edited by Bill Fawcett contains accounts of why battles were lost. I could go into a long-winded explanation but why bother. Spectacularly inaccurate giving the wrong year for the destruction of the Roman legions. And their are other mistakes. The only saving grace is the chapter on Gettysburg which was at least interesting and did give some points to ponder. Thought it would be at least funny it's not.

Don't waste your time not recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

Added books to the TBR pile

New books from the past week or so.

• Bartlett, Thomas and Jeffery,Keith [Editors] A Military History of Ireland some background reading for a possible project.
  
• Glantz, David M. August Storm: The Soviet 1945 Strategic Offensive in Manchuria another part of my project to get my hands on everything Glantz has produced.
• Department of the Army Small Unit Actions During the German Campaign in Russia study written by German officers interrogated by the Americans.
  
• Dyer, Gwynne and Viljoen, Tina The Defence of Canada Volume 1 In the Arms of the Empire 1760-1939 sadly they appear never to have gotten around to volume 2.
  

Hamburger Hill May 11-20, 1969 by Samuel Zaffiri

Hamburger Hill May 11-20, 1969 by Samuel Zaffiri is an excellent study on this infamous battle from the Vietnam War. Hamburger Hill became the poster child of the failure of US strategy. The Hill was taken with a very high cost and lives and then after a short time abandoned. Which allowed the North Vietnamese to move back in. The book describes the original reason for seizing the Hill. The varies miscalculations that resulted in the US troops attacking an entrenched North Vietnamese army unit are laid out. The nasty World War I style trench warfare is superbly discussed. The author interviewed some veterans for the book. There accounts give a sense of urgency which is unusual for the often clinical analysis of military history. The political fire storm after the battle is briefly mentioned. The book concludes with some short analysis from the major players about whether the battle was worthwhile. The book contains a bibliography, Index and pictures.

Highly recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

The Moonshine War by Elmore Leonard

The Moonshine War by Elmore Leonard is a period piece about Southern bootleggers in the 1930s. The main character recently of the Army engineers is continuing his father's bootlegging business. His father put away some alcohol to age as an "insurance policy". Naturally others want it to. Particularly a former buddy from the army now working as a prohibition agent. There are plots and counterplots. Everyone has an agenda.

This is one of Leonard's earlier novels originally published in 1969. He hadn't completely hit his stride yet. Still a nice diversion.

Recommended.

Is available through Abebooks.

Panzer Battles: a Study of the Employment of Armor in the Second World War by F. W. von Mellenthin

Panzer Battles: a Study of the Employment of Armor in the Second World War by F. W. von Mellenthin is part memoir and part tactical treatise on the use of tanks in battle. The book covers the authors experiences in Poland, France, North Africa [on Rommel's staff], in Russia and finally in the West. The book has some problems when discussing the Eastern front. There's a very stereotypical analysis of Soviet tactics. There's no mention of deep operations everything is described as an attacking wave of humanity not thinking or learning.

The book is firmly in the "it was all Hitler's vault" tradition of World War II history. Apparently the German army never did anything wrong. There is also quite a bit of excuse making for example the treatment the Ukrainians received is excused by mentioning Western allies bombing of German cities.

This is interesting more for what it says about the thought processes of a member of the German staff then as a history.

Recommended with caveats.

Is available through Abebooks.



For more WWII book reviews Take a look at My World War II bookshelf.

Tet Offensive, 1968: Turning Point in Vietnam by James Arnold

Tet Offensive, 1968: Turning Point in Vietnam by James Arnold is yet another Osprey title. I have the first edition they've already released a third, so I'm not really comfortable criticizing some of the analysis. It has all the usual hallmarks of any Osprey title. Even the first edition it's a decent summary if you just need a short description of the campaign.

Recommended.

Is available through Abebooks.



For more reviews take a look at My Insurgency/Counterinsurgency, Partisan and Guerrilla Warfare bookshelf.

For whom the bell tolls by Ernest Hemingway

For whom the bell tolls by Ernest Hemingway is the classic Spanish Civil War novel. An American dynamiter is sent to destroy a bridge. To do this he needs help of a guerrilla band. Much of the book is taken up with talking about the operation and other things. Much of that talking is convoluted. Irritatingly occasional Spanish phrases are not actually translated. There are a few profound or at least supposedly profound statements on war. I don't know whether they were innovative at the time but most have seeped into general consciousness.

Recommended.

Is available through Abebooks.