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2008
Section 2
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Author:
Jonathan Sutherland and Diane Canwell
Publisher: Pen and Sword Books Limited
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
ISBN: 978 184415 4203
Price: £19.99 |
BERLIN
AIRLIFT - The salvation of a city
As
my Father took part in ground operations supporting the Berlin Airlift
and was actually stationed in Berlin at the time, I was fascinated
by the content of this excellent volume which tells the gripping
story of how the Russians, following an order from Stalin cut off
all road and rail traffic into and out of the Allied Sector of Berlin
in the early Summer of 1948.
Suddenly,
Berlin became a city under siege! Now, the only way to get much
needed food and medical supplies and other necessities of life into
the beleaguered city was by a narrow air corridor that stretched
just twenty miles wide and which crossed over the Soviet occupied
zone. Not to be defeated, Britain with its wartime allies –
France and the USA answered the call for help, however this demanded
skill, courage and sheer determination. Wartime aircraft and pilots
were therefore dragged out of retirement and in spite of threats
the Russians to destroy any aircraft straying off course, the city
was saved and by the time the blockade ended 328 days later, over
two and a quarter million tons of essential supplied had been ferried
into what eventually became known as West Berlin.
The
authors- specialists in military history and warfare have carried
out extensive original research and as well as providing the reader
with an excellent ins ight into Operation Plainfare, they have also
included many superb atmospheric photographs of the aircraft, equipment,
personnel and of the German population too. There is a very useful
bibliography and has an appendix which includes details of the RAF
units involved, monthly tonnages, examples of Soviet harassment,
a chronology of events and copies of original documents relation
to rationing.
A very useful and fascinating volume that will appeal to many veterans
who served in Berlin at the time together with students of social
history and logistics and of course both military and aviation enthusiasts
too. |
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Author:
Julian Spilsbury
Publisher:
Weidenfield & Nicholson
www.orionbooks.co.uk
ISBN:
978-0297846512
Price: (UK Pounds) 20.00 |
THE
INDIAN MUTINY
The
Indian Mutiny took place just one hundred years ago in the Summer
of 1857. This event, which many considered to be the first move
towards Indian national liberation, occurred when what were previously
loyal, disciplined and normally obedient Indian soldiers and their
officers turned against their imperial masters and started a campaign
of hate, which resulted in a bloodbath where innumerable men, innocent
women and children on both sides were slaughtered with little, if
any mercy shown.
Several
titles to my knowledge have been published to mark the 150th anniversary
of this event – having read most of them, this is one of my
favourites, as it has been well written and thought out, following
extensive and original research which has been coupled with eye
witness accounts together with extracts from contemporary letters
and reports.
It
may surprise many to learn that the author is not only the military
obituarist for the Daily Telegraph, but he is also a highly successful
scriptwriter who has also written scripts for television’s
- The Bill, Taggart and Casualty! He is therefore by profession
a good story teller and in this title he has not failed, as he has
used all his skill to produce an exceptionally moving volume that
tells of remarkable courage by not only soldiers stationed there,
but also by normal family members, their friends and their servants,
who gave their all, trying to protect their loved ones and the families
they loved and served!, He successfully chronicles the ferocity
of the brutal street fighting with both sword and sabre, the horrific
bombardments, the hopeless rescue missions and of course the immense
bloodshed all around.
As
well as including many excellent sepia, colour and black and white
photographs, drawings and plates, there are some excellent maps
and also a very useful guide to the battlefield today. For the family
history researcher, investigating where a relative may have fell,
there are one or two highly useful photographs of the memorial tablets
in the church at Cawnpore (where the garrison surrendered, but was
still massacred). These name the casualties and in that connection
alone are invaluable.
An
excellent publication and good value for money- worthy of space
on any military enthusiasts bookshelves!
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Author:
John Hill
Publisher:
Spellmount Publishers
www.npi-mediagroup.com
ISBN:
978 1 86227 407 5
Price:
£16.99 |
SLIM’S
BURMA BOYS
I
am proud to say my Father was a Chindit – hence the reason
why this particular title attracted me more than many military autobiographies
have done recently. Slim’s Burma Boys was actually written
by one of the few men who served and survived the entire Burma campaign
and in this respect, I believe it is fairly unique, as it therefore
provides the reader with both a fascinating and accurate insight
into the extreme jungle conditions in which the brave men of the
“Forgotton Army” both lived and fought in the period
between 1941 to 1945.
Although
the long running Burma Campaign started with a humiliating retreat
by the British in December 1941, through experience and continual
“on the job” training, together with sheer resilience,
courage and dogged determination, we were eventually triumphant
and crushed the occupying Japanese Army in August 1945.
The
author, who many may consider was just a small cog in a big wheel,
commanded B Company of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Berkshire
Regiment during this campaign and remarkably experienced more in
four years than many men have in a lifetime. He was personally awarded
a Military Cross for gallantry and several others his company received
awards that included two Military Crosses, a Distinguished Conduct
Medal and four Military Medals! These accolades were not without
cost however and sadly resulted in loss of life and this became
the author’s reason for writing this excellent volume, as
he did not want those men and many others with whom he served and
who gave up so much, to go unrecognised.
In
this fitting memoir, in which he faithfully describes his feelings
and the subsequent adrenaline rush as he prepared for action, crossed
swollen rivers, set up ambushes and when he also engaged the enemy,
is based on just part of his original diaries. This is a publication
which will not only provide fascinating armchair reading for the
casual reader, but it will be of great interest to both the military
historian and the offspring (like myself), of those who fought in
this campaign.
The
publishers believe this volume should be prescribed reading for
all would be officers and soldiers too. Although I sincerely hope
future generations will not need to fight in a war like this ever
again, I agree and do not see any harm in anyone (soldier or civilian)
reading this and similar books and learning of the experiences,
bravery and price paid in more ways than one of our forefathers!
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Author:
Mark Kurzem
Publisher:
Rider Books
www.randomhouse.co.uk
ISBN:
978 1 84 604036 8
Price:
£16.99 |
THE
MASCOT
This
excellent hard backed volume, tells the fascinating story of Alex
Kuzem, a young Latvian boy, who at the tender age of five in the
winter of 1941, saw both his Mother and his siblings brutally
murdered by the invading German Army as they advanced across Eastern
Europe. Remarkably, despite all odds, he managed to survive the
slaughter and escape. Amazingly despite his young years, he then
lived alone in the forest and by eating little else but berries
and plants and sleeping under branches of trees to shelter from
the extreme cold for several months , until he was eventually
found by Latvian police battalion .
Apart
from one man in the unit, the others were obviously unaware of
the boys Jewish origins. These tough men therefore took pity on
him and having dressed him in a uniform similar to theirs, they
made him their mascot and wherever they went, he now went too.
This was a blessing, in disguise, but sadly, when this battalion
became part of the dreaded SS it resulted in him witnessing unbelievable
atrocities as they also went on the rampage! It is now certain,
that had his identity become known, he would have been murdered,
however despite all odds, his secret was safe with his guardian
and he miraculously survived the war.
Many
years later and now living in Australia, with nothing more in
his possession other than an odd photograph or two, together with
a small number of papers and no more than a few vague memories,
Alex knew little of his birth family and it was not until 1997,
when after some quizzing , that he eventually confided in his
son, whom he now asked to assist him in tracing his routes and
to help him discover the truth about his mysterious past.
It
is at this point where this splendid volume begins. Alex’s
story is nothing less than remarkable and I am sure that the reader
will find it as fascinating and as gripping reading as I did.
The splendid text is backed up by no less than 30 excellent photographs
and therefore, at under seventeen pounds for a hardback volume
of this quality, it represents excellent value for money.
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Author:
Ian Daglish
Publisher:
Pen and Sword Books Limited
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
ISBN:
1 84415 562 5
Price: £19.99
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OPERATION
EPSOM
Here once again, is yet another successful title from the excellent
Over the Battlefield series of books from Pen and Sword. This
particular volume covers Operation Epson-the first of Montgomery’s
major battles that marked a turning point in Normandy Campaign.
Up
until then odds were very much in favour of the enemy launching
a counter attack and therefore threatening the allied bridgehead!
Although well trained, the British forces, had only recently arrived
in Normandy and were relatively inexperienced compared to the
much superior enemy they now faced. In fact, many experts actually
consider our opponents to have been the best equipped and most
experienced combat formations of the German Army. Fighting in
dense terrain and on the slopes of Hill 112 and 113, we were however
successful and this resulted in the allies retaining the strategic
initiative and then going on to liberate the remainder of France
and Belgium.
In
this new study, the author fully analyses the tactics employed
at the time. He also includes a vast amount of detail based on
previously unseen information and has used impressive aerial photography
and contemporary army maps to fully support his excellent text.
In addition, he has included some interesting black and white
photographs too which together with the detailed Order of Battle
and the very useful bibliography, will prove useful reference
tools for those studying the battle in detail or visiting the
area.
If
you have a specific interest in the Normandy Campaign and the
allied liberation of Europe in 1944, this well written volume
is a must for your library.
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Last
updated
14 November, 2018
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