What are you reading?

[Chuang Shyue Chou]

I was at Borders a few nights ago and I picked up 'Warhammer 40,000: The Killing Ground', 'The Art of Clint Langley: Dark Visions from the grim Worlds of Warhammer', 'The Army of Flanders and the Spanish Road: 1567-1659' by Geoffrey Parker, 'Forgotten Wars: The End of Britain's Asian Empire' by Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper and 'The grand Strategy of Philip II' by Geoffrey Parker.

I finished 'The Lover' by Marguerite Duras a few days back. I have just started on 'Battles of the Thirty Years War: From White Mountain to Nordlingen 1618-1635'. I am also in the midst of a few other books including 'God is not great: How religion poisons the world' by Christopher Hitchens.

What you are guys reading?

[Mark Humphries]

Just started From the Don to the Dnepr by Glantz

[John Kranz]

I just ran across Glanz' book on Leningrad at a used book shop. It's on sale for only $9. Worth a pick-up and read?

[Chuang Shyue Chou]

Which one do you mean?

The Siege of Leningrad, 1941-1944: 900 Days of Terror (2001) ISBN 0-7603-0941-8

or

The Battle for Leningrad, 1941-1944 (2002) ISBN 0-7006-1208-4

The former is a rather thin volume. The latter is something else.

[John Kranz]

Yes, it's the latter.

[Eric Walters]

Chuang, you sure have some good books. I can't say I've read them all, but I have read Duras, Parker's book on Philip II (it is SOOO excellent) and Bayly/Harper. If you like the book on Philip, I'd commend to you John Huxtable Elliott's maginificant COUNT DUKE OLIVARES: THE STATESMAN IN AN AGE OF DECLINE. It's about the key advisor to Philip IV when Spain is well on the the road to its downfall...sort of picks up where Parker leaves off. What is so striking is how great nation-states can pursue strategies that are so inimical to their interests. Olivares tries so very hard to reverse course through reforms but is done in by court intrigues eventually.

Shelby Foote's trilogy was the first on the entire Civil War that I'd read way back when...so then I read Catton's...and then took on Allan Nevins incredible eight volume work. The advantage of Foote is that his narrative is so engaging, even if he's so pro-Confederacy (I know that's not a disadvantage for some readers)! Catton is really good, too. Nevins is a scholarly work and only to be tackled after a lot of deep breathing. But worth the "long hard slog."

Speaking of "long hard slogs," Glantz's books are--in the main--in that category. He writes like his Soviet sources. I love his stuff, don't get me wrong, but I find them mostly used for reference and less for pleasure reading. His book on Operation Mars (ZHUKOV'S GREATEST DEFEAT) and his BATTLE FOR LENINGRAD are exceptions--they are much more readable. Now that the Soviet archives are closed again to Westerners (thanks, Vladimir Putin!), we'll be relying on Glantz for a long, long time...I am grateful for his substantial body of work as it is the best antitode to most of the German-sourced works we've had for years before him.

[Chuang Shyue Chou]

Eric, thanks. I am familiar with a few of Parker's works and they were staggering in their detail and wondrous in their clarity of thought, it's exhilarating just to read Parker, at least, I find it so. I will definitely look up on Elliott's volume on Olivares. Thanks for the recommendation. I have just looked it up in Amazon. It is definitely available.

Regarding Glantz, I have read 'Operation Mars', 'Battle of Kursk' and 'Clash of Titans'. I have only read parts of 'Siege of Leningrad' but not 'Battle for Leningrad' and also parts of the Soviet General Staff Study on Kursk as edited by Glantz and Orenstein. Like you have mentioned, it provides a necessary balance to works based on German sources and also Mellenthin, Manstein, von Leeb, and others.

With regard to Duras, I find it difficult to relate to her thoughts of her mother, brothers and finally, her lover.

I have finished 'Battles of the Thirty Years War: From White Mountain to Nordlingen 1618-1635'. I am embarking on 'The Later Thirty Years War: From the Battle of Wittstock to the Treaty of Wesphalia' by William P. Guthrie. Regarding the description of the leaders, I seem to detect a slight pro-Catholic and anti-Protestant bias but I may be wrong. I don't know, I understand that anti-Habsburg propaganda did permeate a lot of historical work, is this an instance of over correction and overreaction here?

[Kai Jensen]

I'm in the middle of Antony Beevor's The Battle for Spain. I decided a few months ago that, as I new NOTHING about this war, it was time to educate myself as my curiosity had been piqued by something I read online. That same week, I found a used copy of this book at The Green Apple in San Francisco and snapped it up for pocket change. I finally finished the other stack of books I was working through and started reading this one - which convinced me I knew less than nothing on the topic. It is fascinating reading on the grand scale and very sad on the human scale.

[Hawkeye]

Kai,

How was The Battle for Spain? I just started it and for the same reason: I know nothing about the SCW. I just bought Espana 1936 and am hoping to get that on the table soon.

Best,

Hawkeye

[Jim Werbaneth]

It's one of the best, if not the best, book you'll find on the Spanish Civil War. I really make a point of recommending Beevor to all my students doing work on the subject, or who are just interested in it.

[Paul Healey]

I have read Beevors book on the Spanish Civil war it is about the best thing on the subject I have read. Compassionate and having a certain sympathy with the Anarchists. It certainly explained how Franco and the Fascists were utterly ruthless and slaughtered thousands after the war was over. I read it on a holiday in Majorca which made it resonate more.

[Hawkeye]

Finally finished Battle for Spain and thought it was well done. Sort of concurrently read Homage to Catalonia, which I thought was excellent, especially since it gives you some perspective on Orwell and how it affected his later writings. Also read some of Hemingway's short stories for color ...

I picked up a bunch of Spanish Civil War books and the next will likely be the revised edition of Hugh Thomas's The Spanish Civil War.

I traded for a copy of Guerra Civil 1936 and am hoping Arturo finds someone to help him translate the cards into English. Have been corresponding with David Gomez Relloso about his upcoming Crusade and Revolution and will hopefully get in a game with him on Vassal.

[John Boone]

Nothing too heavy at the moment.
Sci-Fi:
I started 1634: The Galileo Affair by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis. I'm about 1/3 of the way through with it but it has not grabbed me as much as his first two novels of the series. I may not finish it.

WWII Historical Fiction:
I picked up Jeff Shaara's The Steel Wave from Sams Club about a week ago. I have not read his first book in the series The Rising Tide . I seen it in paperback at Walmart the other night but did not buy it as I'm not sure if I like his style of writing yet. His father's Killer Angels was one of my favorites though.

History:
Cannae 216 BC by Mark Healy from the Praeger Illustrated Military History Series. Finished this one last week after buying it at Half-Price Books along with a few other titles.

Rome's Northern Frontier AD 70-235, Nic Fields, Osprey Fortress Series. Half way through this one.

Troy c. 1700-1250 BC, Nic Fields, Osprey Fortress Series. Not started yet.

These last two I just bought today from Half-Price Books.

Rome and Her Enemies: An Empire created and Destroyed by War, Jane Penrose editor, Osprey

Hannibal: Enemy of Rome, Leonard Cottrell. Just started this one tonight.