Countdown to D-Day: the German Perspective

The German High Command in Occupied France, 1944

by

Peter Margaritis

 This book's timeline is from December 1943, with a bit of a prelude, until the actual Normandy Invasion on June 6th, 1944. This is a very large book and is just over 600 pages in length. It deals with the day to day lives of the major German officers during the above six-month period. It gives the reader incredible detail into the different views of the main characters and even their personal lives. 

 Field Marshal Rommel is clearly the main German officer of the book. Some of the book deals with the difference of opinion between Rommel and Field Marshal von Rundstedt as to where the German panzer divisions were to be placed. Rommel, well aware of the Allied air superiority, wanted the panzers very close to the beaches of Normandy. On the other hand, von Rundstedt wanted the panzers held farther back to hit the Allies with a large, armored fist when the exact area of the landings was known. Hitler, in his usual way, made a mish mash of both plans. So, we are left to conjecture and wargaming to try and find the answer to the question - was either Field Marshal, correct?

 The book follows Rommel around as he desperately tries to make Hitler's vaunted 'Fortress Europe' a reality instead of a pipe dream. Anyone interested in the infighting and actual thoughts of the German High Command before and about D-Day should read this book. The author's painstaking diary-like approach to every day during that time period is to be marveled at. 

 There is one caveat, at least for someone whose tastes mirror my own. That is, the book goes into too much personal detail about the characters' lives during those six months. I am not really interested in where Rommel ate lunch and dinner on March 15th, 1944. That being said, all of the juicy bits of history that I love are in this book. I just had to dig a little deeper to find them. I am also not a Rommel fan boy by any way shape or means. Had it delved more into von Rundstedt's life it is possible that I wouldn't have these thoughts about the book. On the other hand, Rommel was by far the busiest of the two commanders at the time and through his travels takes you to all of the different places on the Normandy coast. So, you may want to take my caveat with a grain of salt.

 Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to review this large, interesting book. I read for the first time some interesting things about the time and the personal tastes of the characters. I knew that von Rundstedt liked detective novels, but I did not know that he was also an avid gardener. 

Robert

Book: Countdown to D-Day the German Perspective

Author: Peter Margaritis

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

 The Battle of Thapsus

Caesar, Metellus Scipio, & the Renewal of the Third Roman Civil War

by

Gareth C Sampson

 I do not believe that Gareth C, Sampson has ever written an ancient history book that I did not love. That he can make me feel this way with books about Caesar is even more amazing. This is the third book in a series of books about the main battles of the Third Roman Civil War. The author started with 'The Battle of Dyrrhachium' and then followed with 'The Battle of Pharsalus'. This book now takes you to North Africa, after Caesar's tryst and long stopover in Alexandria Egypt. The author shows that the Pompeians, or more correctly the Republicans, have taken the respite that Caesar gave them to build a large force to once again take the field against him.

 Mr. Sampson does not just take Caesar's word for what happened during this time period. This is contrary to many centuries of authors taking Caesar's books about the Civil War and before as Gospel. There are more ancient sources than just his writings to be studied and sifted through to find the real truth of the matter. The two earlier books in the series have shown that Caesar was close to being defeated several times. He also shows us that Pharsalus was not a crushing defeat of the Republicans as we have been taught before. In fact, a large number of the defeated army made its way to North Africa to try once again to defeat him.

 This third battle book is inappropriately named, as they all are. It is not just about the Battle of Thapsus. The book goes into everything that happened to get Caesar in North Africa both politically and militarily. It also goes through the whole campaign and not just the battle. It does not just gloss over the other factors and information but gives the reader a full picture of the contest of arms.

 Once again, the author shows us that this was not some slam dunk for Caesar. He did not land in North Africa and growl and the forces against him faded away like wraiths. The campaign and battle were just as much a seesaw as the other campaigns the author has brought to light. Caesar's recklessness and his wont to throw the iron dice of war are shown in their fullness.

 Thank you, Casemate Publishers and Pen & Sword for allowing me to review this excellent book. I am sorry to say that it does not change history and that Caesar still ends up as the winner. What it does do is take the reader 2000 years in the past to show them everything that matters to a lover of ancient military history. Of course, many of the maxims brought forth in the book are just as important now as they were then.

Robert Peterson

Book: The Battle of Thapsus: Caesar, Metellus Scipio, & the Renewal of the Third Roman Civil War

Author: Gareth C Sampson

Publisher: Pen & Sword

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

 Science of Arms

The Art of War in the Century of the Soldier 1672 - 1699

Volume 2

by

Stephen M. Carter

 This volume continues where Volume I left off. Here, there are 146 pages of an idiot's guide to cavalry during this time period. From its duties in the army as a whole to its use on the battlefield and everything in between is shown the reader. The book even has insights into how to quarter your cavalry for the winter. Training your troopers is gone into in depth.

 The next 50 pages or so goes into, and just as in depth, about how to train, handle, and use your artillery. This part goes into all of the myriads of different artillery sizes and guns that were in use at the time and each one's specific use. For the military modeler and wargamer this information, as is the two volumes as a whole, is invaluable.

 The last 140 pages or so was, to me, the best parts of the book. This takes the reader and explains exactly how to use your army. This goes from the mundane to how to fight a campaign. The chapters in this part of the book are:

Starting the Campaign

The Army Command

Maxims on Moving the Army

Maxims on Lodging the Army

Maxims on Forcing Passages

Maxims for Defensive Marches

Maxims on Standing Camps & Garrisons

Maxims on Guarding Places

Maxims on Offensive Marches

Giving Battle 

 The last chapter also has a two-page illustration of an army in the line of battle with all of the frontages of the different troop types. It not only informs you of what to do if you won the battle, but also how to deal with a defeat. 

The frontpiece also has a wonderful picture or engraving of Louis de Bourbon Prince de Condé (The Great Condé). 

 This is a marvelous two book series on the complete ways that armies were raised, trained, and fought in the late 17th century. The author has done so many of us a wonderful service by releasing these in a clear and easily read manner. These volumes are for any reader who is interested in military history, a wargamer, or someone who does historical modeling. Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for the chance to review this excellent addition to the military history genre. 

Robert Peterson

Book: Science of Arms: The Art of War in the Century of the Soldier 1672-1699 Volume 2 

Author: Stephen M. Carter

Publisher: Helion & Company

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

 Science of Arms

The Art of War in the Century of the Soldier 1672-1699

Volume I: Preparation for War and the Infantry

by

Stephen M. Carter

 

 For those of us who are very interested in the history of warfare this book is a Godsend. This is not just the author's idea of what took place or was thought of about both the preparations and how the infantry worked in the last years of the 17th century. As the author states:

 "This Science of Arms series is based on the original French military treatises and the translated versions published in London by Charles Bill, Henry Hill and Thomas Newcomb in the 1670s and 80s. These cover more than formations and weapons drill. They explain the military practice of the age and when combined, we gain a fresh perspective on warfare. By comparing the details held in the treaties to battle plans and eye-witness accounts, the reader can plug the unsaid gaps that were taken for granted but long forgotten."

 The book has a large amount of information, from preparing your magazine, to the artillery of the time and even its construction, and what you should seek to find and see in your Captain General, General Officers, and your General Staff. At this point we have only gone through half of the book! Then we go through a whole section on 'modeling' your infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The book uses the word modeling to show the formations, usage, and even the costs incurred with these three types of arms.

 The last part of the book is all about the infantry. From weapons, various exercises, and even to the duties of Sergeants etc. it is all here. It will show you how to advance the 'Swedish way' and how to correctly 'volley attack with your grenadiers'. 

 So, if you happen to have about 50 friends, and the money, you can equip them and then the book will show you how to put them through the paces. You can teach them all of the steps to arm and fire their muskets and how to use their pikes correctly.

 The book is a gold mine for both the military history lover and the wargamer. Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to review this excellent addition to my library. I will have a review of Volume 2 of the series coming up.

 

Robert Peterson

Book: Science of Arms: The Art of War in the Century of the Soldier 1672-1699 Volume I: Preparation for War and the Infantry

Author: Stephen M. Carter

Publisher: Helion & Company

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

 The Breakthrough of Kampfgruppe Peiper

in the Battle of the Bulge

by

 Hugues Wenkin and Christian Dujardin

 This book starts out with the German plan for their attack in the Battle of the Bulge. It goes on to explain, more than most books, about how absurd the plan really was. All of the major German officers who were informed of the plan did not like it or believed that it could work. Even someone as fervent a Nazi as Sepp Dietrich thought it was almost ludicrous. Then the book goes into the preparation of Kampfgruppe Peiper for their part in the attack. The US troops that were going to oppose the attack are written about. The authors show us that while the German industrial capacity was the greatest it had ever been in the autumn of 1944, it still could give the German soldiers weaponry. Fortunately for the Allies, what it could not give them was gas and oil. The overwhelming strength of Allied airpower was another force that the Germans could not handle. In reality, the attack could grab headlines around the world, something Hiler was hoping, but the further the German penetration the worse it actually was for them. We are shown by the authors how the German infantry was a brittle shell of what it was when it broke out of the Ardennes in 1940.

  

 No book on Kampfgruppe Peiper could be complete without discussing the Malmedy Massacre, and others, that took place during the Bulge. The authors do a very good job in explaining what happened and what the circumstances were surrounding them.

 The authors do a very good job of keeping a balanced view of Joachim Peiper. Was he a good soldier fighting for a disgusting cause? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Should he and his superiors have been held accountable for the massacres of prisoners and civilians? The answer is also resounding yes. The book does show all of the different aspects of the human and military during the breakthrough until its inevitable failure. They heap praise on the American combat engineers that they feel were the real reason that Kampfgruppe Peiper was put in such a hopeless position. 

 Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to review this very good book. The authors did a great job of showing the reader the whys and hows of the futile breakout. The book is filled with photographs of the people and places from the time. The only thing that I could wish for is more maps.

Robert Peterson

Book: The Breakthrough of Kampfgruppe Peiper in the Battle of the Bulge

Authors: Hugues Wenkin and Christian Dujardin

Publisher: Pen & Sword

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

 Louis XIV's Marshals of France

by

James Falkner

 This is a book that I have been waiting to read for a very long time. Out of these Marshals of France I have only seen in English one biography of Turenne and another, done by this author, on Vauban. The author has opened up a large window on the wars of Marlborough by his various books on the subject. It is true that he did pen the book about Vauban, but other than that he has usually written about the English history of the War of the Spanish Succession.

 The book gives us small biographies of these Marshals:

Turenne

de Fabert

de Créquy

Luxembourg

Catinat

Boufflers

Villeroi

Vendôme

Villars

Vauban

Berwick

 The history in the book goes from before Louis XIV's childhood, and the Fronde, to the first years of Louis XV's reign. These men have a large part in the growth of France during the Sun King's reign. They run the gamut of being the children of simple folk to the illegitimate son of a king. The Fitz part of Berwick's name Fitz-James denoted at the time a child from the wrong side of the sheets, much like the name Snow in GOT. 

 The book also comes with 24 plates. These are of the 12 Marshals, and a further 12 are for other people who make up a large part of the Marshals' lives. 

 The lives of the Marshals are shown during their glory years and their not-so-great years. Marshal Tallard was not ostracized after his return from captivity after his self-inflicted debacle at Blenheim. Quite the contrary, he was held in high regard by Louis XIV after his return. Marshal Luxembourg went from pariah to heights of glory after his imprisonment during 'The Affair of the Poisons' (If you have not read about it, you should. It brings a whole new light on the Sun King's reign.). These are just two samples of what you will find in the book.

 There are only two things that I find upsetting/missing in this book. The first is that at 239 pages it is much too short. This book really needs to be a tome in length to give us all the information about these great men. The second is a technicality that I was hoping the book would find a way around. I have never found a biography of the Grande Conde in English. The technicality is that he was a Prince of Blood and therefore had no need of the title of Marshal to command armies for Louis XIV. He is shown during some of the other Marshal's lives but way too fleetingly for my taste.

 The author has done a spectacular job of helping to close the void or rend the veil that has hidden the Marshals of Louis XIV. These Marshals are a very large part of the history of Louis XIV's reign. While it is true that Louis did at times take the field with his armies, he never deluded himself as to who was actually in charge on the field of battle. Thank you, Mr. Falkner for this much needed glimpse into the French side of these conflicts. Thank you also, to Casemate Publishers for allowing me to review this excellent title.

Robert

Book: Louis XIV's Marshals of France

Publisher: Pen & Sword

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

 The Battle of Stalingrad

The Beginning of the End for Hitler in the East

by

Dmitry Degtev

  This is a book that is a bit hard to review. This comes mostly from the fact that the author flies repeatedly in the face of what we 'know' about the Stalingrad campaign. The author does not include any memoirs from anyone on either side of the campaign. He believes all of them are tainted by censorship and distorted reality. These are some of his own words from the Introduction:

"As a result, I became convinced that almost all of the books about Stalingrad are a mixture of real facts with numerous legends. Take at least the popular stories about sniper duels in the city, about which they even made feature films. In fact, the author could not find a single mention of snipers in any German or Soviet document! Also in the books, the success of Operation Uranus, as a result of which the 6th Army was surrounded, is explained by good planning, good training of the Red Army and the use of a large amount of artillery. In fact, it turned out that there was no artillery, and the Russian offensive did not differ in any way from similar highly incompetent attacks undertaken by the Russians in other sectors of the front."

 Do not think that he lets the Germans off the hook. He shows how the Fall Blau Campaign started out fine but turned into a complete fiasco with German troops crossing each other's paths and no real reason for some of their moves that were made.

 The author also comes up with much different figures for the captured and casualties on both sides. He does spend a lot of time showing the reader all of the movements and successes and failures of the Luftwaffe and the Red Air Force.

 Mr. Degtev has been the author of around 45 books. So, I think it behooves us to take a look at this book even though it contradicts a lot of what we have already read about the campaign. The book also comes with 32 photos and maps from the period. The only part of the book that brings me pause is something that afflicts many military histories. This would be the lack of enough maps. 

 Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for letting me review this book. Readers and other historians might have a bone to pick with the author due to his conclusions. However, I think this is a book that anyone interested in the Stalingrad Campaign should read, if just to get another take on the history of it.

Robert Peterson

Book: Battle of Stalingrad: The Beginning of the end for Hitler in the East

Publisher: Frontline Books

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

 The Origins of Surface -To-Air Guided Missile Technology

German Flak Rockets and the Onset of the Cold War

by

James Mills

  This is the most technical book that I have ever read from Casemate Publishers. It goes through the tentative steps that the UK and the US made toward SAMs (Surface-To-Air Missiles), before and during World War II. The real crux of the book is the Allied and Russian scouring of Germany after the war for technology and designs of the German SAM programs. Much like Operation Paperclip (the US grab for German scientists, whether they were war criminals or not), this is a story of who is able to grab who and what before another country finds it.

 To tell this story, the author takes us back from the end of the war to the German designs and testing that took place before then. As usual, with the German Wunderwaffen programs, it is a tale of too little and too late, which is a tremendous blessing for the Allied and Russian Air Forces. It shows how the Germans were going in so many directions at once. They were working on both guided and unguided munitions. 

 The main part of the book is taken up by the story of the UK and US attempts toward producing a SAM. Then it goes on to show how each of these nations combed Germany for scientists and technology from the German projects. The US Nike SAMs came out of the collaboration between the scientists. The book then shows how France also got into the race to find information. Then the author goes into his conclusions about this hidden part of history (until now). Next, there are an extensive number of Appendices which also includes a look at the Russian attempts to appropriate the knowledge for themselves. 

 This is not an easy book to read. That does not mean that it is not engrossing. It is much more for history readers that are also military tech lovers. This is not just a strict book of who did what and when they did it. There is a tremendous amount of 'how' that are in these pages.

 Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to review this deep and interesting book. It tells a tale that needed to be added to the military history of World War II and its direct aftermath.

Robert

Book: The Origins of Surface -To-Air Guided Missile Technology: German Flak Rockets and the Onset of the Cold War

Author: James Mills

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Before Augustus: The Collapse of the Roman Republic

by

Natale Barca

 Is it just me or does anyone else get the irony of someone with the last name of Barca writing about the fall of the Roman Republic?

 The book is 342 pages long. It has a full color section of artwork and a few maps in the center of the book. This is from the jacket:

"Before Augustus focuses on the political and military history of this tumultuous period, 60-27 BC."

 This is a truly well written and deep book that focuses on the last few decades of the Roman Republic. It follows in detail the life of the Republic from 60 BC until the rise of Octavian (Augustus) to emperor in all but name. This is one of the best history books that I have read over the last year. This is coming from a reader who is most certainly not a fan of either Caesar or Octavian.

 At the start of the book Caesar is much like all of the other sons of the aristocratic families of Rome. He needs to be famous and to somehow make or come into a very large sum of money. Money pretty much buys votes by this time in the Republic. Pompey and Crassus are older and have already made a name for themselves. Pompey is, at this time, the first man in Rome, due to his various military campaigns. Crassus has made himself one of the richest persons who have ever lived. While Caesar came from a famous family, it was nowhere near the pinnacle of power it had once been. He needed a war to both make a name and to fill his coffers. The three of them enter into an arrangement called the First Triumvirate. This was strictly a back-alley arrangement between the three. It had no basis in law as the Second Triumvirate had.

 The author does an excellent job of showing us all the above and much more. He also shows us all of the other players in the political game called the Roman Republic (its slow decay into this bread and circuses type Republic is for another book). The writer does go into some of the details of how Rome got into the position she was in during the last century of the Republic. However, the main part of the book follows the time of Caesar's rise and fall. 

 This book is a great deep dive into the history of the players and events that it shows. The only thing that I wish is that it was a two-volume set with just one volume starting with the aftermath of Caesar's death. The machinations of both before, during, and after the Civil War are wonderfully laid bare. I see by the bibliography that the author has written other books in Italian. My hope is that we see more of his work in English. It appears that he has another book offered by Casemate Publishers: Rome's Sicilian Slave Wars. I will have to pick this up as soon as possible.

 Thank you so very much Casemate Publishers for allowing me to review this excellent volume. It should be required reading for classes about the Roman Republic of the time. I look forward to a book about Marcus Antonius from the author.

Robert

Book: Before Augustus: The Collapse of the Roman Republic

Author: Natale Barca

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

The Onin War 1467-77

by

Stephen Turnbull

 The author, Stephen Turnbull, has become synonymous with the history of Japan and especially of the Samurai under the Shogunate. The list of his books is much too long to print here. Having read a good number of his books so far, I had high expectations for this book. I was not to be proven wrong by any means in this regard.

 The Onin War is really the start of the 'Sengoku Jidai' (warring states) period of Japanese history. This is when the power of the Shogun over the country started to wane. The Sengoku Jidai was a time when all of Japan became a battlefield for the various warlords around the nation.

 The Onin War was fought between 1467-77. The author starts the book by going back in time before the Onin War. His story starts with the Emperor G0-Daigo (1288-1339) and his attempts to take back the imperial power from the Shogun. The Shogun was originally a servant of the emperor, mostly as a general. This changed around 300 years earlier and the emperor then became just a cypher with the Shogun holding absolute power. The book continues with the trials and tribulations of Japan as different families, and strangely enough, the poor farmers rose in revolt. This boiling pot was brought to a frenzy by the of the ascension of the 'lottery Shogun' Ashikaga Yoshinori. His brutal reign as Shogun ended with a successful revolt and the loss of his head. 

 The intrigues continued until the new Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa was not really in control of the country at all. The various warlords did as they pleased. This ended up with two factions of the warlords attacking each other in the capital city of Kyoto. The Onin War was fought during the years 1467-77 and was fought mostly in the environs of Kyoto. The city became a burning shell of itself during the early part of the war with each warlord commanding fortified mansions in the city. All of this and more is shown to us by the author. He continues with the story of what happened after the actual fighting in Kyoto spread to the rest of the country. The book is filled to the brim with not only Japanese history but also shows exactly why the different revolts broke out. It also gives you a glimpse into the lives of the numerous characters mentioned and their biographies. You even get to see some of the trials and tribulations that the poorer folk of Japan had to go through during this period.

 The book is from Helion & Company and is part of its excellent 'From Retinue to Regiment 1453-1618' series. The book is only 120 pages but is filled with tons of information. It comes with several pages of full color pictures of places, people, and artwork about the events in the book. The rest of the book is rife with black and white pictures of the same.

 Thank you, Casemate Publishers for allowing me to review this great book on a pretty much unknown, outside of Japan, piece of Japanese history.

Robert

Book: The Onin War 1467-77

Author: Stephen Turnbull

Publisher: Helion & Company

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

Rome to the Po River

by

Heinz Greiner

Translated by Linden Lyons

 This is another book in the 'Die Wehrmacht Im Kampf' series. This series was originally published in German during the 1950s and 1960s. These books were written by Generals and Chiefs of Staff etc. and not by the German soldiers themselves. Much like the books that were written soon after the war, they glorify the German Army and its resistance to the Allies. They show a very clean war. There is no mention of atrocities or any other items that might tarnish the German Army. They are filled with the meticulous history of the different divisions and higher formations. These versions that are being released by Casemate Publishers are the first appearance of these books in English.

 This book tells the story of the 362nd Infantry Division during the last two years of the war in the Italian Campaign. The division was formed from the wreck of the 268th Infantry Division. The 268th division had fought in most of the German Army's campaigns since 1940. During the summer and fall of 1943 it had fought against the Russians and had suffered large casualties during the Russian offensives. Even while it was being constituted the 362nd division was responsible for over 320 km of the Italian coast.

 Heinz Grenier, the author, was a Generalleutnant in charge of the 268th division. He was also awarded the Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves for his command of both the 268th division and the 362nd. He tells us that the 362nd had to be reformed with both 17- and 18-year-olds. This is in October 1943, two years before the end of the war. Long before the division was ready, it was thrown into the fighting around the Allied invasion at Anzio. 

 The book goes through the various actions and the defensive battles for the Italian peninsula from the Anzio landing until the capitulation of the German forces in Italy in May 1945. It shows us a very different picture of the German forces than we usually see. The 362nd suffered a lack of material and men for its entire life span. The author does not hesitate to find fault for several of the defeats that the Germans suffered during this time. He especially seems rankled by the German loss of Rome to the Allies. 

 If you like reading about the day-to-day management of a division during a campaign, then this book is for you. Just like the other books in the series, this book shines when it comes to understanding the campaigns on a lower level than has normally shown us by authors. The book has numerous maps and other illustrations of the division breakdown etc. The only unfortunate thing about the maps is that they were apparently hand drawn. So, some of them are not as legible as the others. Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to review another book in this fine series. 

Robert

Book: Rome to the Po River:

Rome to the Po River - Casemate Publishers US

Author: Heinz Greiner:

Rome to the Po River - Casemate Publishers US

Casemate Publishers:

Home - Casemate Publishers US 

 

 

 

Dreadnoughts and Super-Dreadnoughts

by

Chris McNab

   In building the Deadnought, the English actually shot themselves in the foot. This one ship with its 10 x 12" guns was a radical change from the 'Battleships' that came before it. Overnight it made every other ship in the world obsolete. Until then, the armaments on battleships were a hodge podge of different size calibers, with at most four main guns of roughly 12". The Dreadnought's speed of twenty-one knots also made it much faster than all the other battleships in the world. However, just like any other country, all of England's battleships were also made obsolete by the Dreadnought. This meant that every country was now in a race to build their own Dreadnought. It also started a Cold War of sorts between the German and English Navies. Germany saw her chance for her Navy to become just as strong as the British Navy. While this did not happen (England started a massive program of battleship building), it did give the Germans a chance to become a world naval power. 

 All of the above is shown to the reader by the author. The story of the development of the Dreadnought herself and her contemporaries and then onto the Super-Dreadnoughts is all here. The arguments of the type of boilers (coal or oil), and the amount and placement of the main guns, along with their massive increase in gun size, are all shown.

 This book is about an era of a few short years, roughly 1906 until 1918. In twelve years, the naval builders had gone from the Dreadnought to the Hood and Bayern classes. For anyone who is interested in the First World War at sea, or just these mighty ships themselves, this needs to be in your library. It is filled with facts, figures, and photos of all of the world's different capitol ships of that era. Unlike most books of this kind, it does not show the later battleships built during, before, and after World War II. The author does show us the history of the Battlecruisers but does not go into them in the detail that is shown with the Battleships.

 This is a large book, almost what you would consider a coffee table book. Unlike those books which are mostly eye candy, this book is a naval history connoisseurs' version of meat and potatoes. Thank you, Casemate Publishers for allowing me to review this very good book.

Robert

Book: Dreadnoughts and Super-Dreadnoughts

Author: Chris McNab

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

 Japanese Tanks and Armored Warfare 1932-45

A Military and Political History

by

David McCormack

 The Japanese tanks and their usage are usually compared to the Italians in World War II. Both their tank tactics and the tanks themselves seem to be better suited to the 1930s than the 1940s. So, let us see if the author has some new insights on the Japanese tanks and warfare.

 It actually turns out that he does. For a country that had a very limited supply of automobiles and trucks and no home-grown plants to make them, Japan produced the first diesel powered tank in 1936. Using European tanks during the Manchurian incident in 1932, the Japanese had used tanks and trucks to move 320 kilometers in three days. This was by a combined arms ad hoc group of Infantry, tanks and towed guns. While it is true that the resistance they faced was not that great, it did show how some of the Japanese military was able to think in a manner very outside of the box for the time. This was the same as blitzkrieg or deep penetration that was written about in other armies, but just put on paper and never actually used. Britain was the first country to experiment with these units in the 1920s. However, lack of funds stopped all of their training in this direction.

 The author goes onto show how even though the Japanese thinking was very advanced, their manufacturing of tanks was slowed to a crawl. The Japanese Navy and Army were in a struggle for all of the limited manufacturing that Japan had during those years. The Japanese infrastructure was nowhere near the size that it needed to be to fight in World War II. 

 On page eighteen there is what first looks to be a small tidbit of information but in reality, is very significant. The author writes that the Japanese Army had an Achilles heel. This was their looking at logistics as an afterthought if it was thought about at all. I know we have read constantly that "amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics" (USMC Gen. Robert H. Barrow). On this page we find quotes from Edward J. Drea that shows that the Japanese actually looked down upon the transport and logistic troops. Military academy officers were not demeaned by being placed to such postings. He goes onto say that the troops assigned to logistics were not even eligible for promotion. This one page of the author's book explains away a lot of what happened during the Pacific War. The book has many other interesting points as well to share with us. 

 Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to read this short but very deep book. This book is meant for anyone who has interest in World War II in the Pacific or the Japanese Armed Forces before and during the war.

Robert

Book: Japanese Tanks and Armoured Warfare 1932-45 a Military and Political History

Author: David McCormack

Publisher: Fonthill Media

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

 Fight for a Throne

The Jacobite '45 Reconsidered

by

Christopher Duffy

 'Bonnie' Prince Charlie and the '45 has always been one of my favorite historical times. Even though, I would have fought on the losing side. It stands to reason, because one of the first songs I was taught as a child in parochial school was the 'Skye boat song'. The first part of the song:

"Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,

Onward! the sailor's cry.

Carry the lad that's born to be king!

Over the sea to Skye."

 I later grew to like the taste of Drambuie, supposedly a favorite of Prince Charlie. Enough about me; let us head toward the book.

 Prince Charles Edward Stuart landed in Scotland on the 23rd of July 1745. He was called the 'Young Pretender' (his father James Francis Edward Stuart was called the 'Old Pretender'), because his grandfather James II was forcibly removed from the English throne in 1688. The author shows us that the Jacobite (not to be confused with the Jacobins) cause had many adherents in the British Isles and Ireland. This book goes through all of the history of the Jacobites before we get to the '45. 

 The prince landed in Scotland against the wishes of his father and in the company of seven gentlemen. While discussions about him landing had always included a good number of French troops (He and his father lived in France. Louis XV used them as pawns against George II of England), he landed with no troops whatsoever. The sheer lunacy of his act of essentially invading Scotland with a total of eight men should be clear.

 The author goes into all of the twists and turns of Scottish Highlands politics of the time. He shows us how Charlie was able to raise a rag tag army that came much closer than it should have to taking George II's throne. He had even been able to invade England before his Scottish troops and lairds pulled him back to Scotland. The story continues through their retreat to the Highlands. They were being chased by British Regulars and their rotund commander the Duke of Cumberland. He was George II's favorite son and George III's brother. Because of his harshness in the Highlands, he was nicknamed the butcher. The book goes into how the Jacobite cause was virtually wiped out after the last battle on English soil Culloden was fought.

 One thing that the book has enormous amounts of is large wonderfully clear maps. In Appendix II there are thirteen! weather maps corresponding to the major events of the campaign. This book is certainly one of the best books I have read that allows the reader to keep up with where and when by the use of these spectacular maps. I have seen books that have maps that look like the author drew them on a drink napkin in the dark. 

 Thank you, Casemate Publishers for allowing me to review this large, 600+, pages work. This is an excellent history of the Jacobites and the '45. Did I mention that it has maps?

Robert

Book: Fight for a Throne: The Jacobite '45 Reconsidered

Author: Christopher Duffy

Publisher: Helion & Company

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

Bohemund of Taranto

Crusader and Conqueror

by

Georgios Theotokis 

 This is a very informative book on not only the man himself, but also the age he lived in. As far as the man, we do not have many books at all about him in any language. So, this volume is more than welcome.

 The book is filled with information that is not known to many. For example: his birth name was actually Mark. Because of his size at birth, he was given the sobriquet of 'Buamundus Gigas' the name (Gigas means giant) of a mythical giant whose story is lost in the ravages of time, according to the author. He was of Norman extraction (Normannorum being the Latin term for Northmen). Many of the later generations of Normans had sailed for the new and different world of Sicily and Southern Italy. His size had continued to grow apace of his contemporaries, so it was quite easy to pick him out in a medieval crowd. 

 The author goes into great detail of how the Normans ended up in these sunny Mediterranean lands. The book continues with Bohemond's family and how his famous father Robert Guiscard had divorced Bohemund's mother when he was just a child. Even though this made Bohemund technically a 'bastard' it does not seem to have lessened his worth at his father's court. 

 The largest part of the book is dedicated to his different dealings with and invasions of the Byzantine Empire. This may surprise some people because of the large role that he played in the First Crusade. You would think that the Byzantines would want him as far away as possible from their lands, instead of letting him march an army close to their capitol. The author describes in detail what happened during the First Crusade and how in the first years Bohemond's military astuteness was one of the main reasons that the crusaders were successful.

 Most of what we know about him was written down by a Byzantine princess named Anna Komnena. She was the first born of Alexios I Komnenos, the Byzantine Emperor. She does let her venom come through toward him at times. At other times it is plain that she begrudgingly admired him. 

 The author has done a fine job of showing the reader the life of this truly giant man. Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for letting me review this very informative book and shining the light on Bohemond's life. His life and adventures would match or surpass any of his Viking forebearers.

Robert

Book: Bohemond of Taranto: Crusader and Conqueror 

Author: Georgios Theotokis

Publisher : Pen & Sword

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

 Red Army Weapons

Of the Second World War

by

Michael Green

 

 This is a description of problems with a tank from the book:

"The five-speed transmission proved to be as unreliable as the four-speed transmission in the early production models. The old-fashioned transmission combined with an understrength clutch and braking steering system caused endless breakdowns of the tank. The tank therefore soon acquired a reputation as mechanically unreliable. Unfortunately, before the German invasion the Red Army failed to organize an adequate repair and support service infrastructure. As a result, the Red Army's repair and support services were not up to the task of recovering the KV-1."

 I tried to make it so you would think you were reading about the German Panther or Tiger tanks, which are always described as being 'mechanically unreliable". According to the author the KV-1 had just as much trouble as the German tanks did in the beginning, but in the KV-1's case the troubles were never fixed.

 This is a book that is a delight for modelers, history buffs, and people who are just interested in weaponry. It comes with over 200 black and white photos of pretty much every weapon that the Red Army used during World War II. It is absolutely filled with information that I have not seen elsewhere. For example, the PPSH-41 submachine gun (which was valued by both armies) was so poorly made that it was not easy to find a magazine that matched up with the actual gun. Tidbits like this abound in the book. The pictures of the Soviet tanks, both inside and out, are amazing in detail. You will understand exactly why some of the tanks were accused of having cramped quarters. According to the book, 300,000 out of 400,000 tankers ended up as casualties. Looking at some of the inside pictures I am bit amazed that anyone was able to make it out.

 The author has gone out of his way to show how each weapon had its own good and bad points. He also does not walk away from calling some of the weapons showed as complete failures. I do wish the author had gone into more depth on 'Stalin's Organs'. However, I totally understand that some weapons could not be as fully written about as others. 

 The book is roughly 250 pages long. In those pages I guarantee that every reader will find some new bit of information that they have never seen, or more than likely plenty of these bits. Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to review this excellent book, which is almost a small encyclopedia of the Red Army's weaponry.

Robert

Book: Red Army Weapons of the Second World War

Author: Michael Green

Publisher: Pen & Sword

Distributor: Casemate Publishers