What are we reading?

[ArizonaTank]

Started reading "Fire in the Sky" by Eric Bergerud. This book covers the early airwar over the Solomon Islands and New Guinea in 1942 and 1943.

The book seems to be of those rare books (like Shattered Sword) that adroitly mixes the technical aspects of the war in the air with good story telling. I am still in the beginning parts of the book but liking it.

https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Sky-Air-South-Pacific/dp/081332985X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1643669059&sr=1-2

[Toonces]

^ Suite!

I've seen that book a number of times and never bought it for some reason.  Just purchased!

[Gusington]

I put 900 Days and Black Earth back on the shelf for reading later...both are not good reading for the dead of winter...too much negativity and darkness, I couldn't handle it.

Switched over to 'Exploring the World of the Druids' by Miranda J. Green.

Happy green druidry.

[MengJiao]

I just finished Rising Sun, Falling Skies: The Disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War II by Jeffrey Cox.

It examines the naval aspects of the early war Japanese campaign to take the Philippines, Singapore, and the Dutch East Indies.

I knew the highlights like the sinking of the Repulse and the Prince of Wales, the defeat of the ABDACOM ships,  and dugout Doug's flight from the Philippines to Australia but I knew almost nothing about the details or personalities involved, especially the Dutch.   I found it very informative and easy to read.  The author readily admits his anti-Japanese bias in the preface and that bias does surface repeatedly which j personally found to be somewhat detrimental to the book but I'd still say its well worth reading.

I have several titles in the 2nd World War at Sea series of games from Avalanche Press and enjoy the games quite a bit.  One of the upcoming titles, Java Sea, covers this campaign.  I was going to give it a miss because the several games in the series that I already own don't see enough table time and I thought the battles would be very lopsided with the IJN just swatting aside the ABDA units.  I think I might pick it up after all (along with the upcoming Norway title.)

  The games sound interesting.  I haven't read much lately about the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere since Tower of Skulls...I had some Avalanche Press games about 20 years ago and gave most of them away.  Now I'm thinking about getting a few of the more recent Second World War At Sea Titles...even the fantasy ones with super zeppelins in Antarctica or Tierra Del Fuego or Brazil where the Imperial German navy saves the world (or at least its sources of cheap frozen beef) with its autogyros.  Norway and Java sound a little more grounded in reality so to speak.

[Dammit Carl!]

Started reading "Fire in the Sky" by Eric Bergerud. This book covers the early airwar over the Solomon Islands and New Guinea in 1942 and 1943.

The book seems to be of those rare books (like Shattered Sword) that adroitly mixes the technical aspects of the war in the air with good story telling. I am still in the beginning parts of the book but liking it.

https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Sky-Air-South-Pacific/dp/081332985X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1643669059&sr=1-2

Ditto!  Would suggest Touched with Fire: The Land War in the Pacific by the same fellow if you haven't read it already.

And am also reading Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army by the Harries couple.  Not as dry as I feared it might be.

[Gusington]

^I read Soldiers of the Sun a while back and enjoyed it.

[al_infierno]

Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich by Norman Ohler.  Tightly written and entertaining account of the rise of amphetamines in Germany and Hitler's infamous daily drug cocktail.  Highly recommended for anyone interested in the subject.

[Toonces]

I just started reading Fire in the Sky based on Arizona's recommendation.  I'm not enjoying it as much as I'd hoped, but we're still in the preliminaries so I'm going to hand in there a bit longer.

Still working on Grant Goes South and just am not enjoying it as much as the later Grant Takes Command.  Early Grant just isn't as appealing to me as is mid-late war stage Grant.

[Toonces]

That Java campaign book sounds pretty bloody interesting.  I've been thinking just today of expanding my Pacific Theater reading into more obscure parts like Java and Burma.  I've read the death out of the Solomons Campaign.

I've been wanting to start a good book on the Coastwatchers as well, a subject about which I know almost nothing.

[Jarhead0331]

I'm supposed to be reading about 40 titles from the Osprey Men at Arms series, but the USPS has somehow lost the package. It was sent by the seller in Alexandria, Virginia on 1/14 and was supposed to be delivered on 1/18. The last time the package was scanned was when it departed VA on the 14th and absolutely no activity since then. I filed a missing mail search request and so far nothing. Very frustrating. i think this is actually the first time I've legit had a package go missing. I guess that means I' m lucky overall, but this set was a good deal. I'll be really pissed if it doesn't turn up. It was a good deal, but it wasn't cheap.

[ArizonaTank]

I'm supposed to be reading about 40 titles from the Osprey Men at Arms series, but the USPS has somehow lost the package...

I have been lucky with USPS up to this point as well. Thousands of packages over the last 20 years and not one lost.

If given the choice, I always ask for USPS for that reason.

So I am surprised to hear that USPS have "lost" your shipment.

UPS is a different story...I usually always have some sort of issue with UPS...not so much lost, but redirected to the wrong location, or they can't find my address...but won't go into detail here.

[ArizonaTank]

I just started reading Fire in the Sky based on Arizona's recommendation.  I'm not enjoying it as much as I'd hoped, but we're still in the preliminaries so I'm going to hand in there a bit longer.

Sorry to hear the book may not be to your taste...hopefully you got a used copy that did not set you back much. I guess the book at times can seem like one of those military staff college "required reading" tomes. But as for me, I enjoyed the technical analysis.

I don't know what you are looking for in terms of the South Pacific air war, but another option is the "South Pacific Air War" series by Michael Claringbould and Peter Ingman. Currently there are four volumes with a fifth on the way. The books currently cover the period March to September 1942.

Each is about 250 pages long, in high quality paperback with many color illustrations; something like Osprey might print. Chapters generally cover a one or two week period, and provide detail of each mission, aircraft losses and squadrons in the field. The appendix has a detailed breakdown of aircraft losses by day, type, how many fatalities, and some details on location and how the loss occurred. In the main text, the authors often discuss individual pilots, and their fates.

The series gets kudos for covering both the Japanese and Allied sides pretty well. The only issue with the books is cost. Brand new, most of the volumes are about $48. You can get them sometimes used for $30. However, "Volume 4, Buna and Milne Bay" is only $28 on Amazon, and might be a good first one to acquire to see if you like the series.

Here are links

Volume One:
https://www.amazon.com/South-Pacific-Air-War-December/dp/0994588941/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3UGNOGHYNS9ZY&keywords=south+pacific+air+war&qid=1644341114&s=books&sprefix=south+pacific+air%2Cstripbooks%2C105&sr=1-3

Volume Two:
https://www.amazon.com/South-Pacific-Air-War-Struggle/dp/0994588976/ref=pd_bxgy_1/139-5555448-8216232?pd_rd_w=K1cdk&pf_rd_p=6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_r=Q99XS3SQW65P3CK0ZN6A&pd_rd_r=b239b944-fb4a-4b06-ac77-fa0848948582&pd_rd_wg=xGxwN&pd_rd_i=0994588976&psc=1

Volume Three:
https://www.amazon.com/South-Pacific-Air-War-Aftermath/dp/0994588992/ref=pd_bxgy_2/139-5555448-8216232?pd_rd_w=K1cdk&pf_rd_p=6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_r=Q99XS3SQW65P3CK0ZN6A&pd_rd_r=b239b944-fb4a-4b06-ac77-fa0848948582&pd_rd_wg=xGxwN&pd_rd_i=0994588992&psc=1

Volume Four:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0648665976/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[JasonPratt]

Yep, I can recommend both of Bergerud's "Fire" books, too!

[ArizonaTank]

I recently started reading the "Inspector Troy" series by John Lawton.

The first book I read was "Bluffing Mr. Churchill." The book was recommended to me by an old lawyer friend of mine.

https://www.amazon.com/Bluffing-Mr-Churchill/dp/B0798T3F8H/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ULFFORE5C1PI&keywords=bluffing+mr+churchill&qid=1645043190&sprefix=bluffing+mr%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-1

The series takes place in the 40s, 50s and 60s in Great Britain. It reminds me of one of those BBC whodoneits. Specifically, the Inspector Morse Endeavour series.

I am not much of a fiction guy, so I was surprised to find myself liking a detective series. I even read another one in the series "The Lily of the Field" and have started a third "Black Out". The first two books I read were more "espionage" than "detective", but that was fine with me.

The writing is very good, and there are plenty of plot twists. Also they are all historical novels, and they recreate the time and place so very well.

British TV is shared passion between my wife and I, so this series of books is so much like the British detective series on TV that I even got my wife to start reading the books as well. She is really liking the books. That is wonderful since there are few novels / books where our interests intersect enough to enjoy them together.

[ArizonaTank]

Yep, I can recommend both of Bergerud's "Fire" books, too!

I have "Touched with Fire" about the land war in the South Pacific as well. But haven't read it yet. Looking forward to it though.