by RNS | Apr 17, 2022 | Beating Tsundoku
Andrew Abram, For a Parliament Freely Chosen – The Rebellion of Sir George Booth, 1659 (Helion, 2021)
Review by Dom Sore
Helion’s Century of the Soldier series has a new addition, this time covering one of the very last acts of the 17th Century English Civil Wars, according to the plaque for the main battle of this rebellion. In this book, Andrew Abram examines the events that led up to the Rebellion of Sir George Booth and Parliament’s response to it. This is one of the softback volumes in the series and comes in at 203 pages with eight chapters, three appendices, and ending with a substantial bibliography. You will find pictures and maps interspersed throughout the text as you go.
This is a very easy read, the prose flows nicely and you get a lot of detail without being overwhelmed or overly confused. The research that has been put into this is obvious beyond the bibliography, and the author really knows what he is writing about. The scene is set in an England in disarray with the Army and Parliament at each other’s throats, disaffected Presbyterians roaming the country, and Royalists champing at the bit to restore the Monarchy. We are treated to details of plots that were stalled before they started, and Sir George’s rebellion itself was meant to be part of a wider plot. However, that was not to be as we soon find out, and the rebellion was left on its own at the mercy of Parliament. The rebels were quickly defeated, and the aftermath would eventually see the restoration of the Monarchy as planned. Ironically the failed rebellion helped this along!
This is a small part at the end of the Republic era in British History and is fascinating in the amateur nature of it given the characters involved had all mainly been involved in actual wars. It shows that being able to command a regiment does not make you suitable to lead an army. It is a nice read, contains some interesting snippets, and shows you just how precarious a grip on the nation a government has even in the face of a farcical rebellion; they didn’t even fight very well.
These softback editions from Helion are an odd fish; the paper in them is very nicely glossed and feels luxurious to the touch, but the very soft cover means it has no stability and flops in the hand as you read meaning you end up holding it in an unusual way. The addition of a slightly stronger and less flexible cover would make these much more enjoyable. There are a few little proofreading errors that stand out given the otherwise excellent quality of the book – the one where a quote is paraphrased and then provided in full on the same page did make me smile. Nevertheless, this book is a welcome addition to my library.
by RNS | Apr 12, 2022 | Beating Tsundoku
Jim Moran, Battle of Peleliu 1944 (Frontline Books, 2022)
In this bigger than usual Images of War series book, Jim Moran takes us on a survey of a battle that was supposed to last three days but took ninety to complete. The invasion of Peleliu took place in September 1944 and would cost the Americans 9,500 casualties against a well-fortified Japanese force of 14,000 that fought almost to the last man. The operation had no strategic value: it was a waste of lives and resources and an exercise in vanity and hubris.
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Moran begins with the respective operational plans for the US and Japanese forces. The US thought it would be an easy win with landings behind a barrage, but the IJA had been digging in since April, and they had learned the art of hit-and-run over expensive banzai charges. They intended to bleed the Americans dry, withdrawing into the mountainous interior while fighting for every yard. Moran surveys the commanders and forces, including the invaluable Navajo code-talkers, then we are into the action. The landing set the tone for what followed with the Marines coming under sustained fire and counter-attacks despite the aerial and naval bombardment. The Japanese even conducted a tank attack across the island’s airfield; although the Marines repelled the tanks, they were now fully on notice. The major problems set in when the Marines moved into the Umurbrogol mountains with their 500 caves and tunnels. The 1st US Marines that had spearheaded the assault were decimated. Moran detours for the 81st Infantry Division’s assault on nearby Angaur and Ulithi, which went more according to plan. Back on Peleliu, the Marines struggled to isolate the island and prevent Japanese reinforcements. Even when they did, the mountains still had to be cleared, ridge by ridge and cave by cave while the Marines could not dig in for defence on the hard coral ground. Finally, on D+70, the remaining organised Japanese force of 56 men launched their last attack with most of them cut down. The battle was all over, yet some Japanese remained on the island until 1947 and the last surviving member of the Japanese forces did not give himself up until 1954! Moran concludes with some fascinating Tom Lea paintings of the combat, an annotated list of Medal of Honor winners, and the text of ‘surrender’ leaflets, which proved as futile as just about everything else on this island.
Moran provides quite a detailed text for one of these books, but his narrative flows well enough while complementing the many monochrome photographs that are the book’s selling point. Those pictures also tell the story. Many of them cover the landings and could come from just about any of the Marine invasions during the War, but others depict the hostile terrain and the claustrophobia of fighting in the relatively confined spaces that look distinctively Peleliu in nature. Newcomers to the Pacific War will gain insight from this book, but there is enough in it for anyone interested in the theatre.
by RNS | Apr 4, 2022 | Beating Tsundoku
The Athenian Middleman
Jeffrey A. Smith, Themistocles – The Powerbroker of Athens (Pen & Sword, 2021)
(Reviewed by Dom Sore)
Many of us who have studied any amount of ancient history will have heard of Themistocles and may even be able to recount some details about him, but he tends not to be one of the “famous” Greeks. There are many more people who know nothing about him, what he did, how he did it, or his impact on the Western World. In this new biography, Jeffrey Smith narrates Themistocles’ life in a highly accessible manner. We learn a little of his upbringing, then his early career, his domination of Athens, and his final downfall. This was all encompassed within the world Athens founded and the Greek concept of arete (which you will need to buy the book to learn about).
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This is a standard biography in that it covers Themistocles life and deeds in chronological order. And it does it really well. It is a very easy book to read, you get all the information you want with context that makes sense and no great leaps of imagination required with the sources. The ins and outs of Athenian politics are covered with aplomb and explained clearly without any dumbing down of the concepts. Ancient Greek concepts of honour are especially well handled and explanations of the differences between our morals compared to theirs handled deftly and without patronising the reader. The similarities with modern politicians are hinted at without being spelt out explicitly, and the book benefits from not indulging in such tangents.
My biggest niggle with the book was the part where it implies heavily armoured cavalry were the main component of Caesar Augustus’ army. It is something that nearly made me stop reading, but I am glad I didn’t. The author does spend some time assigning motives for what Themistocles’ did, which is not a bad thing, but it is done in a way where the reader would be forgiven if they thought we knew this was true. Given the paucity of first-hand information on Themistocles, however, we can really only guess and imply. One final error is to imply the Delian League was named at its formation rather than it being a more modern nomenclature introduced to make it easier for us to understand.
This is a rip-roaring tale from start to finish. Themistocles was at the heart of many world defining actions, and he arguably saved Greece from Persian Domination with his foresight. Without the Athenian navy, Xerxes’ invasion could have succeeded in subjugating the whole of Greece, and we would not have had the Athenian Golden Age and everything that flowed from that. If you want to know more about Themistocles, and even a simple understanding of the events he took part in, then you would be hard pressed to find a better book. It is such an easy book to read I now want to read another by Jeffrey Smith.
by RNS | Apr 1, 2022 | Beating Tsundoku
Angus Findon, Thunderbolts over Burma (Pen & Sword, 2020)
Angus Findon was almost too late to the party. As a newly trained pilot, only joining his squadron in 1945, Findon knew the war was all but done. In Europe, it was, but in the Far East, not so much. The RAF shipped Findon out to Burma to fly Republic P-47 Thunderbolts as the British and their allies winkled out the Japanese. That led to the Battle of Sittang Bend, which effectively ended the Burma campaign. Thunderbolts over Burma is Findon’s memoir, ably assisted by Mark Hillier.
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Findon’s memoir follows the usual arc of enlisting, training, joining his squadron, combat, then the war ended. Two things make this memoir stand out, however: Findon flew Thunderbolts and did so over Burma, both quite unusual circumstances for the World War II bookshelf. I should add that all his active service took place over seven months. The RAF replaced their Hurricanes with Thunderbolt IIs just as Findon joined 34 Squadron, one of sixteen to fly ground attack operations against the Japanese. It was an effective warplane, which the Japanese army quickly grew to fear. Findon’s second stroke of luck was arriving in Burma in time to develop his skills before taking part against the attempted mass Japanese breakouts at Sittang Bend and Pegu Yoma in July 1945. Unfortunately for them, the British had been tipped off and a slaughter ensued. For hours at a time, Findon flew missions, bombing and strafing Japanese troops and positions, throughout July and into August until there were no Japanese left to hunt. After the War, Findon flew jets, though he didn’t like them much, and he ended his service in England. That is where he also ends his memoir. The rest of the book, nearly half of it, is taken up by appendices on summaries of operations, extracts from despatches on Sittang Bend and Operation Birdcage, and reproductions from Findon’s pilot’s logbook.
Although his memoir is short, Findon is an engaging storyteller. He is perhaps too self-effacing at times, and he was clearly a better pilot than he describes. Findon also does not sugar-coat some of the more unpleasant aspects of his time in the RAF, particularly when it comes to over-officious senior commanders. My only quibble with this book was the lack of attention to accurate proofreading, but that doesn’t detract from the story. Indeed, Findon’s memoir is worth reading for his narration and description of service life in Burma and India, and aviation enthusiasts will undoubtedly enjoy it.
by RNS | Mar 30, 2022 | Beating Tsundoku
David Doyle, U.S. Vehicles & Heavy Weapons of the Vietnam War (Pen & Sword, 2021)
We can’t say that the United States pioneered mechanization in warfare, but we can say they have made the most of it. With the advent of the Cold War, that made sense with America preparing to fight on the plains of Europe. But that’s not where they fought; rather, they went to Vietnam. Of course, they took their vehicles with them, and noted expert David Doyle’s book shows just how many varieties of vehicle that meant.
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Doyle divides his catalogue into three main sections: wheeled tactical vehicles, track laying combat vehicles, and tracked and wheeled artillery and heavy weapons. He begins with that most iconic of American vehicles, the Jeep, though it was a quarter-ton 4×4 truck and came in three varieties: not the only surprising fact in this book. Then we are off and running through the gamut of vehicles. These range from little Mules to big six-wheeler trucks; and personnel carriers to more tanks than you might imagine for a conflict like Vietnam. They performed all manner of functions from combat duties to maintenance tasks like telephone-line maintenance or helping local farmers collect their harvest. The vehicle descriptions are accompanied by copious photographs, many in colour, and Doyle includes general and engine data. My favourites were the bizarre multi-barrelled Ontos and the multifunctional but sturdy and simple M113.
Sometimes a book will deliver exactly what it promises to do on the cover. U.S. Vehicles & Heavy Weapons of the Vietnam War falls into that category. Like many of the vehicles Doyle describes, his book is a no-frills and quite pleasant survey with some surprises as to how many vehicles were deployed and what they did when they got there. Model makers with a penchant for Vietnam will especially like this as will military vehicle enthusiasts in general.
by RNS | Mar 28, 2022 | Beating Tsundoku
Tim Saunders, Masséna at Bay 1811 (Pen & Sword, 2021)
You have to feel for French Marshal André Masséna. He did not want to command the invasion of Portugal in 1810, but Napoleon promised him his full support in manpower and logistics. But the Emperor reneged, leaving Masséna high and dry in front of Wellington’s carefully constructed defences. Defeat would follow Masséna’s frustration. In Masséna at Bay 1811, Tim Saunders guides us through the action.
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Saunders lays out his table with a discussion on forces and the strategic situation in 1810. For Masséna, the initial campaign went well as his army pushed the Allies back into Portugal, but he underestimated the toughening of the Allied defences along the lines of Torres Vedras. Saunders describes that interconnected parallel construction that Masséna could not penetrate and had to settle for a blockade, but one he could barely sustain. After much shadow boxing and small engagements, the French had to withdraw through Portugal into Spain with Wellington in pursuit. Retreats are never pretty, and Saunders captures this in horrific detail, using contemporary sources to describe the hellish scenes. Rearguard clashes made up the action, as at Redinha in March 1811, while the French command structure fractured through in-fighting – Marshal Ney would be dismissed for his insubordination. Along the way, the French indulged in atrocities on the civilian population, while stragglers endured the pitiless backlash. For his part, Wellington was quite willing to watch the French destroy themselves; why risk a battle with a disintegrating enemy? But he did fight at Sabugal in April 1811, pushing the French over the border. Saunders detours from the sides at a stand-off to briefly discuss some of Wellington’s intelligence officers before resuming his narrative with the blockade of Almeida. The culminating battle of the campaign came at Fuentes de Oñoro on 3-5 May 1811. Saunders handles that engagement as well as he does the campaign. The battle was not decisive, but the French just lost. Masséna, though, was the biggest loser; recalled to Paris and stripped of his command. Saunder’s appendices consist of orders from Wellington and Masséna, a memo from Wellington to one of his commanders, and the order of battle for Fuentes de Oñoro.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable book for those who enjoy narrative military history. Saunders builds that narrative from primary source material as much as possible, something that is sadly too rare in military history written for the general public. He also keeps the story moving along tidily with few diversions, and he is supported by a generous allocation of maps, photographs of reenactors and the major sites, paintings, and contemporary illustrations of soldiers and landscapes. There isn’t much analysis, but that wasn’t Saunders’ remit: he tells a story and tells it well. Masséna at Bay 1811 is certainly heading for the Peninsular War shelf in my library.
