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| I regularly
receive newly released titles from publishers around the world. And while in
many cases I don not consider myself enough of an authority of the subjects to
give a critical review, I have enough of an eye for quality to recognize the
best offerings. Listed here are publisher submissions that stand out from the
crowd. |
|
The War Chronicles:
From Chariots to
Flintlocks
by Joseph Cummins
An excellent overview of the pre-modern
period, starting with the Greco-Persian Wars of 500 to 449 BC and ending with
the American Revolution of 1775 to 1783. One of the potential pitfalls of a
book which tries to cover such a large chunk of historical real estate is
accuracy, and the author seems to have avoided them. All of the entries we read
seemed well researched and stated. The book is thoroughly illustrated and is
substantially composed of numerous short articles relating to the greater
subjects. There are no maps, but this is not the type of book that pretends to
need them. This is an overview of military history and the book wisely confines
itself to that task.
Order of Battle: German Infantry in World War II , by
Chris Bishop. An overview of German infantry formations in key campaigns during
the course of World War II, including Poland, Denmark, France, Crete North
Africa and of course the Eastern Front and defense of the Reich. Includes many
OOB tables and strategic level maps. The tables mostly show army and corps
level organization, with general notes including commanders and member
formation names. A cleanly illustrated overview of the war with an eye toward
German organization.
The Medieval Fortress : Castles, Forts and Walled Cities
of the Middle Ages, by Joseph Kaufmann, H. W. Kaufmann (Illustrator),
Robert M. Jurga (Illustrator). An exhaustive overview of features, designs, and
layouts organized by period and location. Well worth the acquisition.
Stealth Patrol: The Making of a Vietnam Ranger,
1968-70, by Bill Shanahan and John P. Brackin. Bill Shanahan was a member
of the elite LRP (Long Range Patrol) teams which daily prowled the central
highlands of Vietnam, meticulously observing the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese
Army units who moved constantly through that area. The author's greatest asset
is his ability to cut straight to the core of events – especially the
simple and pervasive need to keep quiet – and to give credit to the
many people who served for much longer and with greater skill.
The Third Reich : A New History, by Michael Burleigh.
From the Einsatzgruppen which operated behind the front, to the Euthanasia
program at home, and on to the army officers who plotted Hitler's hoped-for
demise, this book traces a broad, all-inclusive image of Nazi Germany and its
wars. It's few trivial errors of omission are more than compensated for by the
many details, such as the fact that the famous Russian regiment which fought so
desperately at Minsk in 1941 was a Chechnyan unit, whose survivors were later
exterminated by Stalin despite their heroic fight against the
Germans!
The Russian Officer Corps in the Revolutionary and
Napoleonic Wars: 1792 - 1815, by Alexander Mikaberidze. This new
book by Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze offers a comprehensive overview of Russian
Army officers who served in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The most
famous battles of the time may have been fought against Napoleon, but readers
will quickly realize that the men who commanded troops at Borodino and
Austerlitz also fought in wars against Sweden, Turkey, the Chechens and more.
The book itself is a rich treasure trove of hard data and biographies. The
first chapters provide numerous graphs and outlines such as "Officer Literacy
by Army Branches, Marital Status," and "Nobles and Social Composition of the
Officer Corps." This is followed by an overview of awards and medals with
diagrams showing how each is worn.
The remaining 460 pages of the book
consist of lengthy biographic sketches which thoroughly describe most officer's
service records. Some entries offer closing words on an individual's strengths
or weaknesses, usually with the better known personalities. The book does not
attempt to describe the consequences of every battle, and since most men's
records emphasize rewards and decorations, the book necessarily focuses on
combat victories – be they tactical or operational. This does not detract
from the text, which presents a vast wealth of information not previously
available to English speakers.
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The Luftwaffe over Germany:
Defense of the
Reich
by Donald Caldwell and Richard Muller.
Outstanding overview of
the Luftwaffe's daylight air defense during World War II. Lavishly illustrated
with rare and never before published photos, the book offers a
very high quality presentation of airwar tactics and technology. It begins with
an overview of pre-war conditions and covers in as much detail as possible the
ensuing conflict with the RAF and USAAF that ended in the virtual collapse of
German air defenses. Includes a glossary of aviation terms and orders of battle
for day fighter formations. Overall an outstanding work. If you are not
currently interested in the history of the air war, you will be after reading
this book.
Roll Call to Destiny:
Soldier's Eye View of Civil War
Battles
by Brent Nosworthy.
A fascinating new book which uses
eyewitness accounts as a vehicle for outlining the various aspects of maneuver doctrine
used by both sides during the American Civil War. Students of Napoleonic
history will usually recognize the common elements of 19th century warfare, but
for many Americans this is not an obvious connection and the author of Roll
Call to Destiny helps to drive this point home using eyewitness accounts
woven together into a general narrative. |
