Archived from groups: rec.games.miniatures.historical (More info?)
It's been a while since I posted, but I thought it might be
interesting to post a small list of the books I've recently added to
my library that are wargames related in terms of topic especially if
it engenders some further posts in response.
Montgomery as Military Commander: Europe 1943-45
Richard Lamb
Lamb's volume is very good reading indeed. Between D'Este and Lamb,
one gets a picture of the military merits of Montgomery without much
tinge at all of parochial favouritism. Lamb includes one of the better
short analyses of Market-Garden as well as more attention to the 1945
campaign.. Thankfully there's neither the Land of Hope & Glory nor Red
White and Blue slanted polemicisms, just a healthy objectiive
approach.
Overlord 1944
Max Hastings.
Given his journalism skills, it's unsurprising that Hastings can craft
a decent narrative coupled with some reasonable analysis couched in
layman's terms. Frankly it's a better read than Keegan's unfortunate
Six Armies in Normandy and is just so far ahead of Ambrose's execrable
D-Day in scholarship and reasoning.
A Drop Too Many, Maj-Gen J.Frost CB, DSO, MC.
I'd not seen this in local bookstores but had been after it for a
while. Gavin gets some understated but significant criticism over his
deployment and the failure to seize Nijmegen Bridge in a timely
fashion. Frost remarks that the Groesbeek heights weren't as
militarily significant as they've been made out to be. Lots of info on
his service in Tunisia which is overshadowed by the Arnhem saga.
The Day the Devils Dropped in, Neil Barber
The story of the 9th Para Bn from Merville to Château St Côme, June 6
- 13. Some very useful details on the merville assault and excellent
deatils on the little known fighting at the Château St Côme. There's
definitely some material here for the tactical gamer.
Fighting in Normandy; The German Army from D-Day to Villers Bocage,
ed. David Isby
Collation of the post war debriefs of German generals. Left behind by
more stringent recent scholarship but illuminating all the same.
Arnhem 1944: the Airborne Battle, Martin Middlebrook
Most interesting and well written. Very useful when read in
conjunction with Kershaw's German POV It Never Snows in September
Infantry Training (Training and War), War Office 1937
This will see much use as a reference work for a couple of
hypothetical 1938-1940 scenarios.
I managed to pick up the three titles below in their Arms & Armour
Press hardback editions for a measley 65 pacific pesos. They're still
some of the best general works on the subject published and good
enough to be all a gamer really needs on their subject. I've had the
Eastern Front volume for some time, but getting the hardbacks of
these made my week.
Blitzkrieg: Armour Camouflage & Markings of the early war, 1939-40
S. Zaloga
D-Day To Berlin: Armour Camouflage & markings of the US, British and
German Armies, NWE 1944-45.
T. Wise
Panzer Colours: Armour Camouflage & Markings of the Panzers, 1939-45
Bruce Culver
P-J
Pete Palmer
15mm Anc, Med, ECW, Nap, ACW, Euro wars, WW2
"Scenarios at Tourneys in preference to Competitions"
www.nothing-but.net.nz/wargame.html
It's been a while since I posted, but I thought it might be
interesting to post a small list of the books I've recently added to
my library that are wargames related in terms of topic especially if
it engenders some further posts in response.
Montgomery as Military Commander: Europe 1943-45
Richard Lamb
Lamb's volume is very good reading indeed. Between D'Este and Lamb,
one gets a picture of the military merits of Montgomery without much
tinge at all of parochial favouritism. Lamb includes one of the better
short analyses of Market-Garden as well as more attention to the 1945
campaign.. Thankfully there's neither the Land of Hope & Glory nor Red
White and Blue slanted polemicisms, just a healthy objectiive
approach.
Overlord 1944
Max Hastings.
Given his journalism skills, it's unsurprising that Hastings can craft
a decent narrative coupled with some reasonable analysis couched in
layman's terms. Frankly it's a better read than Keegan's unfortunate
Six Armies in Normandy and is just so far ahead of Ambrose's execrable
D-Day in scholarship and reasoning.
A Drop Too Many, Maj-Gen J.Frost CB, DSO, MC.
I'd not seen this in local bookstores but had been after it for a
while. Gavin gets some understated but significant criticism over his
deployment and the failure to seize Nijmegen Bridge in a timely
fashion. Frost remarks that the Groesbeek heights weren't as
militarily significant as they've been made out to be. Lots of info on
his service in Tunisia which is overshadowed by the Arnhem saga.
The Day the Devils Dropped in, Neil Barber
The story of the 9th Para Bn from Merville to Château St Côme, June 6
- 13. Some very useful details on the merville assault and excellent
deatils on the little known fighting at the Château St Côme. There's
definitely some material here for the tactical gamer.
Fighting in Normandy; The German Army from D-Day to Villers Bocage,
ed. David Isby
Collation of the post war debriefs of German generals. Left behind by
more stringent recent scholarship but illuminating all the same.
Arnhem 1944: the Airborne Battle, Martin Middlebrook
Most interesting and well written. Very useful when read in
conjunction with Kershaw's German POV It Never Snows in September
Infantry Training (Training and War), War Office 1937
This will see much use as a reference work for a couple of
hypothetical 1938-1940 scenarios.
I managed to pick up the three titles below in their Arms & Armour
Press hardback editions for a measley 65 pacific pesos. They're still
some of the best general works on the subject published and good
enough to be all a gamer really needs on their subject. I've had the
Eastern Front volume for some time, but getting the hardbacks of
these made my week.
Blitzkrieg: Armour Camouflage & Markings of the early war, 1939-40
S. Zaloga
D-Day To Berlin: Armour Camouflage & markings of the US, British and
German Armies, NWE 1944-45.
T. Wise
Panzer Colours: Armour Camouflage & Markings of the Panzers, 1939-45
Bruce Culver
P-J
Pete Palmer
15mm Anc, Med, ECW, Nap, ACW, Euro wars, WW2
"Scenarios at Tourneys in preference to Competitions"
www.nothing-but.net.nz/wargame.html
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