The first 60-80 pages are about papal politics and the overall situation in Europe, which I ended up skimming. Once the crusaders got under way, things started to get interesting. There is actually much more information about the siege of Antioch than Jerusalem. From cannibalism to siege engines to unremitting bloodshed, its hard to imagine how anyone survived.
The First Crusade: A New History: The Roots of Conflict between Christianity and Islam
I read this after seeing the movie Mongol which was a pretty good introduction. The scope of the Mongol conquest was awesome. Story lags a bit after Genghis’ death, but a good read overall.
Penguin Lives series is somewhat like the cliff notes of biography. Some interesting theories on the birth of totalitarianism and secret police force that grew out of the French Revolution.
About the shortest book I have ever read on the Civil War. Doesn’t go into much detail about the campaigns, which is fine. More focused on what made Lee tick.
More of an overall history of weapons development and the creation of US sniper tactics. Not much on individual soldier actions. A bit dull for such an interesting topic.
No holds barred account of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam. Generals in helicopters ordering ground troops to assault fortified NVA positions pretty much captures the overall tenor of the book. The descriptions of the battle for Hill 875 are not for the squeamish.
Dak To: America’s Sky Soldiers in South Vietnam’s Central Highlands
History of British mining activity under the trenches during WWI. Doesn’t hold back. Graphic descriptions of the results of explosions, cave-ins and decomposition. Fizzles out at the end as all mining activity was stopped by both sides in 1917.
Underwhelming. I was wondering why the author tiptoed around Adm. Christie’s borderline criminal conduct regarding the Mark XIV torpedo. That is, until I re-read the intro and saw it was written by Christie! A classic tale of bureaucratic arrogance and incompetence taking precedence over the lives of front line combatants.
Bowfin: The True Story of a Fabled Fleet Submarine in World War II (Classics of War)
The last 1/3 of this book is the best and most revealing about the character of the author. I wish he had provided more stories about his relationship with Rommel. His descriptions of the Russian work camps and his post war re-acclimation are excellent. I am hoping that his lectures to various war colleges and the Normandy battle tours will someday be available to the public.
Gives a great account of the mindset of all the principals, from Mao to MacArthur as well as insightful analysis into the political processes for all involved.
At 600+ pages, I was a bit surprised that the last two years of the war were pretty much glossed over. Very little mention of the role of the air wing.
A disturbing and insightful work. Collection of interviews with veterans, primarily from Army and Marine units.
A really good read. Pretty incredible story.
I found this book to be dull and plodding. Quite a surprise when considering the topic. Still, there were some interesting sections, including Rommel’s exploits in Italy during WWI.
One of the most difficult things about Holocaust literature is that the experiences are so brutal as to convey a sense of disbelief. Oswald Rufeisen was a Jewish boy who was able to pass as a Christian and to survive through a combination of luck and smarts. Because he could speak fluent German, he ended up working as an interpreter for the German police and the Belorussian collaborators in 1942 in the city of Mir.
He used his position to help notify nearby villages that they were targeted for liquidation. When he helped orchestrate the escape of over 300 people from the Mir ghetto, his cover was blown. He managed to escape and ended up hiding in the monastery that was right next to the police station. He was then forced to flee into the forests where he was almost executed by the partisans, until people he saved came forward to vouch for him.
By this time he had converted to Christianity. After the war, he became a monk, moved to Haifa and met with the pope. Really interesting discussions on how his conversion was received by others in his family and on his thoughts regarding the evolution of Christianity and its alignment with the Roman Empire.
Detailed account of OSS activities directed towards infiltrating agents into Germany. Efforts had mixed results. Greatest success appeared to come from one German civilian who had access to secret documents and provided them to the OSS. Interesting discussion on the counterfeiting and forging process as well as the plane based radio communication with agents on the ground.
Piercing the Reich: The penetration of Nazi Germany by American secret agents during World War II
Very well written and researched. Reads like a Greek tragedy. Provides clear and concise detail on how the war in Laos evolved from a handful of CIA operatives into massive air bombardment and chaos. Highlights the lack of willingness of the various military departments to coordinate operations.
I enjoyed the first half of this book which deals with the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse. The remainder was a bit disjointed, as was the campaign itself. A lot of digression to provide the history behind the different leaders. Decent maps.
Lee’s last campaign;: The story of Lee and his men against Grant–1864
This book is really well done. Much of the archive material was not available until the late 1950. Majority of stories are primary source, first person accounts. Interesting episodes like Morgan’s escape from prison in Ohio, the Confederate torpedo service, New York draft riots and other obscure incidents. Well worth a look.
Remarkable story of a mother and daughter’s survival in the Warsaw Ghetto and escape from a train to Treblinka. The mother wrote the journal immediately after the war and had it transcribed into English. Sat in a drawer for 40+ years until being found after the mother’s death.
A Jump for Life: A Survivor’s Journal from Nazi-Occupied Poland
I was a bit hesitant to pick up this book as it is over 1000 pages. And how could it hope to cover such a vast scope? All in all, I think the author did a great job. Work is focused on first person accounts and covers all theaters. At times, very raw and visceral descriptions of what the men saw and did. Not a buff and polish homage like Brokaw. In fact, author appears to take Brokaw to task at end of the book. Refreshing to say the least.
