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

 Warfare in the Age of the Crusades

The Latin East

by

Brian Todd Carey, Joshua B. Allfree, and John Cairns

 

 This is a larger than usual book in two ways. 1st, it comes in at over 300 pages. 2nd, and most importantly, its name is deceiving. I had imagined it to be just a book about the warfare of the time. Meaning that it would tell us the different composition of the armies of the period and the troops that were used etc. It actually does that amazingly well. However, it also gives an excellent military history of the period in question: from the First Crusade to about the year 1453 (the fall of Constantinople). 

 The book distinguishes itself from other military history books by having many clear and readable maps. It also has two glossaries for the reader, one being of important personalities, and the other of military terms used in the book. In the center is a group of full color pictures from either the period or later and nowadays shots of some of the areas mentioned. The book also starts out with 'Chapter Chronologies'. This is a write-up about every battle or campaign that happens during said chapter. This is very handy for the reader to keep track of the different goings on. It not only has everything listed about the current book's scope of history, but also some taking place around the globe.

 I cannot praise this book enough. Usually, my mind flits from one age of history to another and I have at least several books that I am reading at one time. Very rarely do I read a book straight through from cover to cover and this is one of them. The writing and information in the book make it a sheer pleasure to read. The book will appeal to someone like me that already has read a lot about the time period, but also to the neophyte to this period of history.

 The writers and publisher should be congratulated on this tour de force. I cannot wait to start reading its brother 'Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, Europe'. Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to review this extremely well-done book about the warfare and history of the Latin Kingdoms in Outremer and more.   

Robert

Book: Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, The Latin East:

Warfare in the Age of Crusades - Casemate Publishers US

Publisher: Pen & Sword:

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Military History Books - Casemate Publishers US

 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

 By Force of Arms

The Austrian Army in the Seven Years War

by

Christopher Duffy

 From as far back as I can remember, I have always been extremely interested in the history of Austria and Austria-Hungary. As far as history books go, Helion & Company publish some of the best military history books on the market. So, wanting to review this book was a complete no-brainer for me.

 This is the second volume in the series by Mr. Duffy (who unfortunately passed away in 2022). The first volume, 'Instrument of War', covered the political and national goals of Austria in the Seven Years War. This volume covers the actual battles and warfare of that war. So, for the first time really, we get to see the war from the Austrian viewpoint instead of the Prussian. Most books that have been written about the European theater of war, this being the first real world war, follow the career of Frederick the Great through it. The lack of a well written and all-encompassing book on the Austrian involvement was decried as early as 1881 per the author.

 One of the best things about this book is you get to see the entire history of the war. A lot of books talk in depth about the first years of the war from 1756-1760, but only pay lip service to the war from 1760-1763. The book shows you both the victories and defeats of the Austrian Army throughout the war (yes, Frederick the Great did lose a good number of battles). However, not only that, but it also shows the reasons behind the successes and failures of the Army.

 The author switches easily from discussing the war on a strategic level to the tactics during its battles. One thing the book has which is absolutely essential in military histories is a great abundance of maps. The maps are also incredibly clear and well-drawn. You can follow the course of all the battles and the war easily with them. The book also includes black and white photos of some of the areas of the battlefields as they look today. It also comes with portraits of some of the main players in the history of the war.

 This is a fine work that has been needed for quite a while. For those of us who are interested in the Austrian side of things in the war, it is a veritable gold mine. This book should be on the shelf of any person who is interested in military history and specifically the Seven Years War. Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to review this very fine book. 

Robert

Book: By Force of Arms: The Austrian Army in the Seven Years War Volume 2

Author: Christopher Duffy

Publisher: Helion & Company

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

 The Maps of the Wilderness

An Atlas of the Wilderness Campaign, Including all Cavalry Operations, May 2-6, 1864

by

Bradley M. Gottfried

 We have all read about how Napoleon and Marshal Berthier would crawl over maps during their campaigns. I think possibly that image in my mind started a lifelong love of maps. I love to look at all maps but especially campaign and battle maps. I believe it gives me, and others, a much-needed visual representation of the histories we are reading.

 These books by Bradley M. Gottfried completely switches the program from what we military history readers are used to. Instead of the prose being the main part of the book, in this case the maps are the real headliner. The descriptions are not inferior; in fact, far from it. It is just we are finally given exact and easy to read and follow maps of a campaign or battle. This is in comparison to many very well written military histories that have two or three maps that look like they were drawn by a second grader. This is actually the fifth in this series of books by the author. I can easily recommend all of them to the reader. They are:

The Maps of Gettysburg

The Maps of First Bull Run

The Maps of Antietam

The Maps of Bristoe Station and Mine Run Campaigns

 This book easily measures up to its elder brothers. The confusing and claustrophobic fighting of the Battle of the Wilderness is finally brought into the light of day. The books written about the battle are sometimes hard to follow because of the complete confusion on the part of the actual participants. They sometimes had no idea of where they were, let alone where the units on either side of them were at any given time. The painstakingly drawn maps clears up all of that confusion. 

 In conclusion, if you have any interest in the Battle of the Wilderness, or the American Civil War in general, this book is a must have for your library. While you are ordering it at Savas Beatie please take a look at the rest of the series.

 Robert

Book: The Maps of the Wilderness

Author: Bradley M. Gottfried

Publisher: Savas Beatie

 Bloody Verrieres

The I. SS-PanzerKorps' Defence of the Verrieres - Bourguebus Ridges Volume II

by

 Arthur W. Gullachsen

 This is volume II of a comprehensive look at the defense of the ridges during the Normandy Campaign. This book will have a tough time equaling its older brother. Volume I was full of history tidbits that I have not seen anywhere else and there are tons of books on this part of the Normandy Campaign.

 Have no fear, the author has continued in Volume II to shine a light onto the history of the battles for the ridges. He also never fails to report on the bravery and tenacity of the British, and Canadian etc. attackers. He does, however, find fault with what he calls their "bite and hold" tactics. He feels that they are using outdated World War I tactics in World War II. This is a point that he makes throughout the book with plenty of examples. He shows us how the German 1st SS Panzerkorps used a defense in depth to absorb the British and Commonwealth attacks. He also contends, along with other writers, that the British and Commonwealth attacks and losses were not in vain (although they could have been better commanded and planned out). They kept the main striking power of the German Army in Normandy in a desperate battle for Caen and the surrounding area. This allowed the Americans to break through on the German left flank. 

 In the book he dispels some of the myths that we have been taught about the campaign. Such as, Sepp Dietrich did not know how to read a map or that the SS in Normandy were just fanatics that had no real tactical ability. The author shows that the Germans were able to halt the Commonwealth forces even though they were completely outmatched in artillery and air power.

 The book comes in at just under 300 pages including the appendices, end notes, bibliography, and index. It shows the battle for the ridges from July 23 - August 5, 1944. The author concentrates on the 2nd Canadian Corps attack during Operation Spring starting on July 25th. The book continues with the German counterattacks after Operation Spring. This shows how the German forces were still resilient even after the long battle for the environs of Caen. 

 Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to review this second volume from this author. He is a captain in the Canadian Army and also a teacher of military history in the Royal Military College of Canada's History department. The books are two of the best to read about the tactical warfare during the Normandy Campaign. They should be in the library of anyone who has any interest in the campaign.

Robert

Book: Bloody Verrieres: The I. SS-PanzerKorps' Defence of the Verrieres - BourGuebus Ridges Volume II

Author: Arthur W. Gullachsen

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

 Detour to Disaster

General John Bell Hood's "Slight Demonstration" at Decatur and the Unravelling of the Tennessee Campaign

by

Noel Carpenter

 This is a small book which is just over 160 pages in length. The book is also printed in large type, so it is not a hard read by any measure. The center of the book has fifteen pages of black and white photos of the people mentioned and towns of the area. The book is followed by three appendices. The first one gives and Order of Battle for the Army of Tennessee. The next is a list of ferries and fords across the Tennessee River between Chattanooga and Florence. The third is the evacuation order for the people living in and around Decatur Alabama.

 Lieutenant General John Bell Hood has lost Atlanta and a good portion of his troops trying to attack General William Tecumseh Sherman and stop him from taking the city. Hood now comes up with an audacious plan. He will do exactly what Sherman has decided on doing except in reverse. Sherman plans to cut his lines of communication and march from Georgia to the sea. Hood intends to cut his lines and head north trying to pull Sherman after him. The disparity between the forces makes Hood's campaign not only a desperate chance, but one that in hindsight is almost assuredly useless. The author tells the story of the beginning of Hood's campaign and Hood's 'Detour to Disaster'.  

 On page 146 the author uses some quotes from other historians about Hood's campaign plans. "An impossible dream" another wrote "Hood's activities after Sherman left Atlanta (to follow Hood) seemed to have been scripted in never-never land".

 However, a lot of other pundits believe that had Hood acted with more speed his campaign would have been successful. General Beauregard, in his report, said that the original plan "would have led to the defeat of Thomas ... if executed without undue delay and with vigor and skill". Which, as the author shows, was not done. Hood's four lost days at Decatur pretty much put paid to the entire campaign. In the Epilogue the writer explains what happened next in Hood's Tennessee Campaign.  Hood was given a last chance to destroy a large part of the Union force against him before the Battle of Franklin, but once again victory was turned into defeat. This would lead to the tragic and useless battles of Franklin and Nashville.

 This is a great book that shows off the truth of the expression "for the want of a nail". It also should be required reading for anyone trying to sift fact from fiction during Hood's days in army command. Unfortunately, we lost the author in 2000. In his retirement he dedicated twelve years to research and write this book, and it shows in this detailed account. Thank you, Savas Beatie, for allowing me to review this book. I do not know anywhere near enough about the Western Campaign in the Civil War. I am just starting to fill that gap and this book has done its job admirably.

Robert

Book: Detour to Disaster: General John Bell Hood's "Slight Demonstration" at Decatur and the Unravelling of the Tennessee Campaign

Author: Noel Carpenter

Publisher: Savas Beatie

 War Along the Wabash

The Ohio Indian Confederacy's Destruction of the U.S. Army, 1791

by

Steven P. Locke

  The United States was only eight years old when this campaign took place. One tends to be a bit shocked that only after so few years that the country and Army that had defeated Britain was almost totally destroyed by an Indian Confederacy. This book goes back in time a few years to show how the smoldering resentment of both the English and the Native Americans burst forth into war. We are shown that Britain ceded all of the territory up to the Mississippi River to the new United States. There was only a small matter of the indigenous population who were not a part of the treaty. The native tribes had been pushed farther and farther back by the colonists, even though Britain had tried to stop the colonists from encroaching farther inland. 

 As the book shows, the British were still upset about their loss during the American Revolution and were very slow to, or not at all, follow the treaty's stipulations in the Northwest Territories. They refused to leave most of their forts. Not only that, but they were fomenting hatred among the Native Americans for the new rush of settlers that were encroaching on their lands. The British were also arming the Native American tribes of the area.

 The author explains that just like after every war until the Cold War the United States had shrunk its Army to an incredibly small size. Governor Arthur St. Clair was authorized on March 4, 1791, to raise the Second American Infantry regiment. This, along with the First American Infantry Regiment (The U.S. Army at the time) and with some six-month volunteers, only amounted to 4,000 soldiers! This force was to be used to create forts and strike out at the Ohio Indian Confederacy.

 This sets the stage for one of the U.S. worst military defeats with losses more than three times that of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The three Native American chiefs Buckongahelas, Little Turtle, and Blue Jacket are almost forgotten now except for historians. The fame of Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse now far exceeds these earlier warriors. 

 The book goes into the hows and whys of the campaign. It then traces the resulting campaign and the trek through native American land. The battle does not really have a name like Tippecanoe or other battles against the Native Americans. It is called St. Clair's Defeat or the Battle of the Wabash but again it is mostly lost to history.

 The author has given us an excellent book about the era just after the American Revolution in the Ohio River Valley and the Northwest Territory. The book follows St. Clair's expedition day by day and gives all of the bad decisions that were made on many levels to lead to the crushing defeat. Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to review this deep and well written book. It is a must for anyone who wants to know about early American history or the history of the Native Americans trying to defend their land.

Robert

Book: War Along the Wabash: The Ohio Indian Confederacy's Destruction of the U.S. Army, 1791

Author: Steven P. Locke

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

 

 The Battles of Antiochus the Great

The Failure of Combined Arms at Magnesia That Handed the World to Rome

by

Graham Wrightson

 Antiochus III, or the Great, was a ruler of the Seleucid kingdom from 223 to 187 BCE. He ascended the throne at eighteen years of age after the assassination of his brother Seleuces III. His throne was not secure by any means. The provinces in the east had left the empire a few decades before. He was also faced with a revolt by the satraps of Mesopotamia, Medea and Persia. The Ptolemies had almost crushed the Seleucid kingdom a few years before. Syria was also lost to the Ptolemies at the time of his ascension to the crown.  The author informs us of all of the history written above at the start of the book. He also goes into the state of the nations around the Seleucid kingdom so that we readers know exactly where the Hellenistic world, and beyond, stand at this time.

 The book describes itself thusly:

"The author analyses Antiochus' major battles, Raphia, Arius, Panium, Thermopylae and, of course, the disaster at Magnesia which opened the door to Roman dominance of the region."

 The author's take on the militaries of the later Hellenistic kingdoms is that they had not learned the lesson of Alexander or the Diadochi very well at all. He extols that the militaries of the later kingdoms were just a pale comparison to the great armies that had conquered the Persian Empire and beyond. Not just because there was no longer an Alexander to lead them, but because they did not understand what made those armies invincible for their time. The book shows how the percentage of infantry to cavalry, approximately 3 to 1, had changed so that it was more than 10 to 1 by Antiochus' time. The main idea of the book is that these newer rulers did not understand the combined arms approach that was needed to win with a Hellenistic army. He uses the battle history of Antiochus to prove his point. In this the author easily succeeds.

 However, the book gives the reader much more than the above. He goes into the tactical uses of each of the parts of a Hellenistic army. The author shows us how to use a Hellenistic army and where Antiochus went wrong. Antiochus was a singular unlucky king. He ruled at a time when Rome was branching out to make the Mediterranean Sea a Roman lake. It did not help that one of the greatest Roman generals, Scipio Africanus, was present with the Roman forces. While he deserved his appellation 'Great' by reconquering all of the Seleucid territories in the east, Antiochus ensured the death of the Seleucid kingdom by his loss to Rome. This is a tour de force about the military history of Antiochus' reign. I can easily recommend the book to anyone who wants to learn about him and the militaries of the Hellenistic kingdoms. Thank you, Casemate Publishers for allowing me to review this excellent book on an era that hardly ever has some light shed on it.

Robert 

Book: The Battles of Antiochus the Great: The Failure of Combined Arms at Magnesia That Handed the World to Rome

Author: Graham Wrightson

Publisher: Pen & Sword

Distributor: 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

 Storm Clouds Over the Pacific 1931-1941

War In the Far East

by

Peter Harmsen

  There used to be a dearth of books about the real beginning of World War II. It was not in Ethiopia or in Spain, but in China where the fuse was lit. We have had some books lately that deal with the Second Sino-Japanese War. However, the field is nowhere near the rest of WWII as far as books written about battle and campaigns.

 This book starts right at the beginning of the conflict (others start at 1937 and the Marco Polo Bridge Incident). Japan is looking for resources and their own lebensraum in the Asian landmass. The author shows us the slide the Japanese took from a rather open slightly democratic nation to a militaristic fascist like state. There are wonderful bits of history that I have never read before. He informs us that a group of young naval officers (we usually associate the Japanese Army officers with rebellion) had determined to kill the prime minister and a completely harmless Charlie Chaplin during a visit in 1931. They were actually going to assassinate more government officials also but were stopped in their tracks by the secret police. One wonders if Mr. Chaplin was ever aware how close he came to death. The book is filled with these golden nuggets of history.

 The book goes on to explain the Japanese invasion of northern China and their conquest of Manchuria (afterwards changed to Manchukuo and given the last Chinese emperor Puyi as a puppet leader). The writer shows us all of the assassination attempts and successes of the young Japanese military officers against their own government. Then we see the slow slide to all-out war between Japan and China in 1937. The author shows us the drifting of Japan toward the other Axis powers. The book also shows the different attempts of the western powers to stop the war in China. It also shows the intense rivalry between the Chinese Communists and Chiang Kai-shek's government.

 We are then taken to the final desperate attempts from some on both sides to stop a war breaking out in the Pacific between Japan and the western powers. The author then takes us to the various Japanese attacks and invasions in December 1941. These include Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, Malaya, and the Dutch East Indies.

 The book is just under 200 pages long. It has a large section of Endnotes and a list of literature in Chinese and other languages. It comes with thirty-two pages of black and white photos of the actions and personalities shown in the book. It also has a small number of some very well-done maps. Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to review this outstanding book. This is a fine history book on its own and hopefully will attract more writers to the subject.

Robert

Book: Storm Clouds Over the Pacific 1931-1941 War in the Far East

Author: Peter Harmsen

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

 Retreat Through the Rhone Valley: Defensive Battles of the Nineteenth Army, August - September 1944

by

Jörg Staiger

Translated by Linden Lyons

 This is another book that is part of the 'Die Wehrmacht Im Kampf' series that is published by Casemate Publishers. This book was originally published in 1965 and was, as the whole series was, written in German. The books were usually written by officers who were intimately involved with each of the operations. In this case, the author is a German historian.

 Operation Dragoon was the invasion of southern France in 1944 by the Allies. It was definitely the red-headed stepchild of the two invasions of France that year. The Normandy invasion, due to its size and importance, has always pushed Operation Dragoon into the shadows. Now we get an invaluable insight into the German operations to escape back to the northeast of France. 

 The author takes us through each side's different plans before the actual landings in southern France on August 15-17, 1944. He shows us that the German Nineteenth Army was, on paper, much too small to defend the entire coastline. The Nineteenth Army was also used as a reservoir of men and machines for the German armies fighting in Normandy. So, by the time the invasion came its generals knew it would only be fighting a rearguard action no matter what Berlin said.

 It is a short book of only eighty-seven pages before you get into the appendix and index. The retreat of the Nineteenth Army takes up the last fifty pages or so. The author goes into how the army was not only fighting the Allied forces but also the French Resistance. The book has a good number of maps. These are in German, but you can catch the drift of what is going on better with their help. 

 The book is a short but very informative one about a part of World War II that not many are familiar with. In it you will not find copious quotes from the normal soldier. It is a story of the campaign from a more operational standpoint. Thank you, Casemate Publishers for allowing me to do a review of this succinct but still full of history volume. I can recommend the book to anyone who is looking for information on the campaign.

Robert

 Book: Retreat Through the Rhone Valley: Defensive Battles of the Nineteenth Army, August - September 1944

Author: Jörg Staiger, and translated by Linden Lyons

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

They Came Only to Die: The Battle of Nashville, December 15–16

by

Sean Michael Chick

 

 I knew of the author long before I saw this book because he is a prolific wargame designer, and a very good one at that. So, I was very curious to see how his writing compared to his game designing skills. Not that I really had a doubt in my mind. I just wanted to see how much of a crossover there actually was.

 The Battle of Nashville was certainly a battle that did not need to be fought. Lieutenant General John Bell Hood was in charge of the of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Hood had started the Civil War in Virginia commanding a brigade of Texans. As a brigade, and later division, commander he was in the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee as one of its finest officers. He was wounded in the left arm at Gettysburg; the arm was left pretty much useless. Then his division was sent west with the rest of Lieutenant General James Longstreet's corps to fight under Lieutenant General Braxton Bragg. Hood fought in the Battle of Chickamauga where he was wounded in his right leg, and it had to be amputated. After his recuperation he was first made a corps commander under Lieutenant General Joseph E. Johnston in the Army of Tennessee. He then replaced him and became commander. So, he was a field commander of an army with only one leg and one arm and constantly in pain from his wounds. He fought the Union General William T. Sherman for the city of Atlanta and lost. At this time Hood came up with a plan for his Franklin-Nashville Campaign. In a nutshell, the plan was for Hood's army to go north and in doing so force Sherman to follow him. This did not happen because the size of Hood's army was no more than the Union troops defending Tennessee. This put into motion the terrible battles of Franklin and Nashville.

 The author shows us the background to the Battle of Nashville and also the history that led each of the commanders during it. He says that many times Hood has been excoriated in print and that he does not deserve it. He feels he was a commander who was put into a desperate situation and did the best he could under the circumstances. The situation that the Army of Tennessee was in, lacking almost everything that an army needs, even before their invasion of Tennessee, is shown to the reader. The actual battle and the terrible retreat that the Army of Tennessee faced in the middle of winter is explained in detail.

 The author also gives us little biographies of every commander that is mentioned in the text. The book is full of black and white pictures of the combatants and the different areas of the campaign. The one thing that I love are the maps. These are as clear and full of information as a reader could possibly want. 

 This is an excerpt from the book:

"Total Rebel losses in two days of battle were at

least 6,000 with 4,462 prisoners. Fifty-three cannon

were in Union hands. Federal losses were at least

3,000. With most casualties coming within a few hours

at the end of each day, Nashville had a fairly high loss

rate per hour. In addition, it was the most lopsided

victory achieved by an attacking army in the Civil War,

with the possible exception of Five Forks and Sailor’s

Creek, which involved fewer troops and casualties

than Nashville."

 

  The book ends with many descriptions and photos of what the intrepid amateur historian will find when going to the many historic sites mentioned in the book. I have read several of the great books that are in the Emerging Civil War Series from Savas Beatie. I am pleased to say that this volume follows in its older brothers' footsteps. This is a perfect introduction to someone who just wants an overview or a reader who plans to dig into the subject more deeply. Thank You Savas Beatie, for allowing me to review this very good volume on a little-known part of the war in the west.

Robert

Book: They Came Only to Die: The Battle of Nashville, December 15-16, 1864

Author: Sean Michael Chick

Publisher: Savas Beatie

 

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:

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