What Are You Reading?

Just re-reading Peter Caddick-Adams' 'Snow And Steel' and Timo Worst's 'Gustav Knittel'.

Every December as the temperature drops my thoughts turn to the Bulge.

 

I'm just starting on The Naval War in the Baltic 1939-1945 by Poul Grooss.

 

I'm pretty sure there's a copy of it on Hyperwar. Very interesting book with lots of details. If you are interested in USN PT boats in WWII you should read this book.

 

I finished it a few months back. It's a good read.

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

This might not be quite as relevant but one of my favorite books is, Booby Traps! by Ian Jones. It's about booty traps and real old school IEDs used decades ago, however while the book covers the second world war the most, it briefly covers WW1 and post WW2. Did you guys know that the SOE briefly manufactured explosives rats! They were dead rats that were gutted and stuffed with explosives and a blasting cap with the intention that once found they would be thrown into a fire for disposal which would cause it to detonate. The explosive rat was short lived..

 

Just finished an interesting read. Memoirs of a Wartime Interpreteter which is based on the diary and writings of Russian interprereter Yelena Rzhevskaya. She began her enlistment during the Battle of Moscow and ended in Hitlers bunker. She was responsible for the identification of Hitler and Eva’s body and actually at one point was responsible for holding and protecting his teeth/jaw bone. She was not permitted to release any of the information regarding Hitlers death on the orders of Stalin. She also translated Goebbels diary. She is a writer by trade so some of it I thought was a bit dramatic but overall enjoyed the book. Anyone else do the read?

 

I also was intrigued by the explosive rat

 

Reminds me of the scene form the Guns of Navarone

 

Just finished reading "Behind Hitler's Lines". Very interesting read. The writing was odd at times though

 

Completed a few months ago, The Liberator, One World War II Soldier’s Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau, by Alex Kersha. A biography on Felix Sparks who advanced in the ranks to lead the 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division, Seventh United States Army. A good read with interesting detail on the 157th’s battles, conflicts and liberations as well as Felix Sparks’ successes before and after retiring from the U.S. Army. Interesting, the 45th Division original insignia which was approved in 1924, the swastika, was replaced with the Native American Thunderbird in 1939.

Currently reading Speer, Hitler's Architect, by Martin Kitchen.

 

I am now reading a book that I received from my son and his family for Christmas. It is good. The Eighth Flag, by Stanford Joines. The true story of St. Croix’s pirate legacy. The untold story of the Caribbean, cannibals, conquistadors, buccaneers and PIRATES! 1493-1750. The eighth flag after the seven countries involved, being the black flag of piracy. Starts after Christopher Columbus and his voyage to find the new world. I have always enjoyed a good pirate tale. And my daughter-in-law and my son call it, “our favorite island paradise.” They visit frequently and deep sea dive among the fishes in the beautiful waters of St. Croix.

 

Hi.

Due to the constant input necessary to continue the work on my website I read several books at the same time but mostly only regarding the topic I need.

Regarding ordnance I can only recommend the monthly Ground Power Magazine by Galileo Publishing. It´s a great souce for pictures and detail drawings but the texts are japanese only. It covers various WWII and few modern vehicles of all paricipating nations plus sometimes detailed reports on japanese arms and equipment.

Yours

tom!

 

Reading, or Rather Re-Reading Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility." It is my second favorite among Austen's works.

 

Now reading Paul Stillwell's Battleship Missouri: An Illustrated History.

 

Just started The Winds Of War by Herman Wouk and rather embarrassed in that at this date and my age and liking WWII, that I have never read it. I suppose that after this I should try to pick up a copy of War And Remembrance from my local used book store or on line. I remember watching the tv series from years ago, wish they would bring it back.