1542 replies to this topic

[Steven Broomfield]

I won't ask why you knew that ...

[Rob Connolly]

I do apologise, Steven.  We are expected to avoid jargon at work so it shouldn't creep into my forum posts!  As the cycley-avatared one explained, "Not Safe For Work", i.e having a very high Tut Factor and likely to involve a lot of bare skin, or a lot of cursing, or both, like that novel "50 Shades of Lord Grey" people have been banging on about.

[MartinBennitt]

A couple of novels relating to Austria-Hungary and the War written some 80 years apart: just finished William Boyd's "Waiting for Sunrise" and now reading "The Radetzky March" by Joseph Roth. Both enjoyable but while Boyd is a storyteller in the modern style Roth is more profound.

cheers Martin B

[Suddery]

British Spies and Irish Rebels
Paul McMahon The Boydell Press
516 pp

Been eager to tuck into this for some time and finally purchased a copy this Sunday past that arrived today.

No expectations other than a good read with a few surprises and anecdotes. Need a rest from the more academic tomes.

A toe in the water looks to have found a comfortable temperature.

Tim

[Roxy]

I'm currently reading 'Somewhere in Blood Soaked France - The Diary of Corporal Angus Mackay, Royal Scots, Machine Gun Corps 1914 - 1917' edited by Alasdair Sutherland.  Cpl Mackay from Sutherland enlisted in 1/5 Royal Scots and served in Gallipoli.  He then joined MCG with whom he served in France.  I am enjoying the book so far - 40 pages to go. It tells the story of Angus time with 1/5 RS in Gallipoli and on to France.  Alasdair then tells the story of the Battle of the Somme - interspersed with Angus' diary comments (even when Angus was at Ypres).  He is let down a bit by poor proof reading at times - no Scot drinks whiskEy and the main road in Edinburgh is Princes Street; not Princess Street!  Not aux fait with the battle to determine if his story is factually accurate; I've no reason to doubt that it is, but has been a good read.

Roxy

[Rob Connolly]

Just taken delivery of "Undertones of War" by Mr Blunden, whilst I have been to-ing and fro-ing across "Artillery in the Great War" (Sanders Marble), "Imperial German Army" (Cron) and "History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery 1914 - 1918" (Farndale).

[Arnhem44]

I'm reading the Harp and Crown, History of the 5th (Royal Irish)  Lancers 1902-1922 by Ciaran Byrne at the moment, It's been a good read so far but my only criticism of the book is it's printing which I find is poor. Regards Brendan

[Roxy]

I think that 'Harp and Crown' is an excellent book!

;0)

Roxy

[uncle fester]

Reading Gallipoli by Peter Hart for the second time, at home,
Landing at Anzac at work

[Suddery]

Rob Connolly, on 11 May 2013 - 08:18 PM, said:

Just taken delivery of "Undertones of War" by Mr Blunden,

Be very interested to see what you make of this - its reputation touches on the hallowed but I've tried three times and just can't penetrate the prose. Matter of style perhaps but I really feel I ought to read it. Stands out as one of the few uncreased spines on my c20th bookcase.

Tim

[dycer]

"1/8th Battalion The Royal Scots(and the European War)".
Unfortunately it is not currently "in print",as it was published,in pamphlet form, by the Battalion's "local" Newspaper, shortly after the end of the War,from a series of articles printed in the paper.
Obviously it is jingoistic but also full of pathos, both reflecting the Battalion's successes i.e,the VC award to Willie Angus and its losses e.g.at Festubert 1915, in addition to losing its Colonel,31 other ranks were killed.
But as it was bought, at the time, came "through the Family" and not yet been "attacked,questioned,disproved,etc" by a "serious" WW1 Historian although they may have read it "to aid their research".I always have it "to hand".
George

[Bernard_Lewis]

'The Deluge' by Arthur Marwick. Enjoying it, too. Focus on the home front.

Bernard

[Doctord84]

Just started "Douglas Haig, Architect of Victory" by Walter Reid.

[Jim Hastings]

Loos - Hill 70 by Andrew Rawson (Battleground Europe series)

[blackmaria]

Finished "A Soldier's diary of the Great War " by G.A Prideaux,not the most riveting book i've ever read but quite interesting in parts.He began the war as
Transport Officer with the S.L.I and by the end of 1916 was Brigade Major.He was killed whilst making a reconnaisance of the trenches in January 1917.
His views on the Territorial's attached to his Division in 1915 are interesting,he called them "Arrant cowards" and "Not worth their passage out here".

[fritz]

Kriegstagebuch 1914-1918 by Ernst Jünger

[blackmaria]

Going to start reading "Q6A and other places : Recollections of 1916 1917 1918 " by Francis Buckley next.My original copy is No 274, if anyone wants
No 288,Tom Donovan is selling it ,yours for a mere £245.

[MartinBennitt]

"Escape from Germany" by Neil Hanson. There have been a few lukewarm comments about it on the Forum but I'm enjoying it, having known nothing about this exploit before. Escapers in World War Ii must have profited from it as well.

cheers Martin B