What are you currently reading?

[The Purist]

From the other side of the hill

Just started "The Roots of Blitzkrieg, Hans von Seecht and German Military Reform" by James S Corum.

Before Manstein, before Guderian, before even the first whiffs of the Nazi regime there was the great debate in the new Reichwehr about what kind of military the new German republic would need. Professor Corum's looks to be laying out the argument that Von Seecht laid the ground work for other theorists who came later. The reforms of 1919-26 led to the army of 1939.

Another offering from the University Press of Kansas and the US Army and General Staff College.

Looks very interesting.

[Wolfe Tone]

"No Task Force Smith"???

IIRC TFS was thrown in at the deep end under equipped and with little training and suffered accordingly.

It was as a result of this initial response to the Korean War that the US started to build up it's Army again after the Post WWII wind down.

But I'm sure our American friends can clarify this better than I can.

PS In passing I once worked with an English woman in London many years ago whose fiancee was KIA in Korea one week before he was due to come home.

[tigersqn]

That old classic "The Struggle for Europe" by Chester Wilmot.

Been awhile since I've read an old one like this.

[Janos]

I'm reading What If? A great book covering the many what if's of military history. You'll see a lot of in Alternative Timelines soon...in fact, I was amazed that some that are in the book are under discussion now there.

[Crash]

33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene.

[BarcelonaBlom]

I'm on the 3rd BOok of the Starfist Series: Steel Gauntlet and I'm going to start John Antal's Infantry Combat: THe Rifle Platoon before I work on the rest of the Starfists....

And I got about 10 book reports to do for the Marine Reading Program (I read a bunch of them allready... even ones above my rank... guess I'll have to ask about what to do with those)

[Rooks Bailey]

Donnybrook by David Detzer. It is about the Battle of First Bull Run. A decent book, but Detzer is one of those authors whom seem to delight in second-guessing the decisions of historic participants. Typical journalist....

[liuzg150181]

Just started "The Roots of Blitzkrieg, Hans von Seecht and German Military Reform" by James S Corum.

Before Manstein, before Guderian, before even the first whiffs of the Nazi regime there was the great debate in the new Reichwehr about what kind of military the new German republic would need. Professor Corum's looks to be laying out the argument that Von Seecht laid the ground work for other theorists who came later. The reforms of 1919-26 led to the army of 1939.

Another offering from the University Press of Kansas and the US Army and General Staff College.

Looks very interesting.

Tried to look for "Hans von Seecht" using search engine but unfortunately it only yields 10 results which doesnt disseminate much info........
Would you like to elaborate more on his reform?

[Rooks Bailey]

Shouldn't you be busy moving out of your apartment?

:-)

[Wodin]

"The Red Horse" by E Corti.

Superb novel.

[Guest]

Slowly working my way through Samuel Eliot Morison's 15 volume history of the USN in WWII set.

[Janos]

Tried to look for "Hans von Seecht" using search engine but unfortunately it only yields 10 results which doesnt disseminate much info........
Would you like to elaborate more on his reform?

I think he means Hans von Seekt, the German officer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_von_Seekt).

[R.N. Armstrong]

"No Task Force Smith"???

Task Force Smith was the first unprepared American unit to face the North Korean invasion. Gen Sullivan's theme was to ensure that we did not allow the Army to follow the historical American peacetime dismemberment and unpreparedness of its army.

[Janos]

Currently reading "Death Of The Leaping Horsemen " from Jason D. Mark. Approach to and battle/destruction of the 24. Panzerdivision in Stalingrad.
One of the best books i ever had. Rating: A+

MK

Is the 24th Pz the "Paris Division" that had an Eifel Tower for a symbol?

EDIT: Answered my own question. I was thinking of the 23.Panzer-Division.

[17poundr]

I am reading two books at once (along with the magazines I have, i just got hold of four copies of the Vietnam magazine, now a part of the ACG ownership, it's a good mag for great after action reports about the actions in Vietnam, I fully recommend it).

As for the books, I am reading John Keegan's, 'War in Iraq', which chronicles the 2003 war in a compact yet constant to Keegans style eloquently the main events of the war. Fully recommendable.

Secondly I am re reading our own J.D. Morelock's 'The Army Times book of Great Land Battles', somehow last time I thought I read through it too fast, and indeed the second time arround, I notice that it contains much more than I got from it last time.

The battles are very well analyzed, the various facts that lead to them taking place, the drama between the personalities, and the incredibility that is man's courage, inventiveness and pure self sacrifice that come's out of our species during war.

A much more deep and introspective book than I noticed last time arround.

And If you only want an action report, you can skip the 'before the battle's' bits, and just go for the action parts! No shame in that either, but I recommend a more slow reading of this book, and one will come to appreciate Morelock's work much more.