Books - Review

A history of the Second World War. He provides lots of individual perspective from ordinary people as well as an overview of all the major events.

Pretty good, with lots of details but at the same time a good sense of overall politics and strategy etc. Bit of a harrowing slog through endless horrors, but I suppose that is only to be expected. The maps don't work so well on the Kindle, but to be fair it says that on Amazon. I just noticed. Bought this to read in Utrecht hospital during first IVIG treatment.

The history of the Vietnam war.

Great. Detailed, interesting mix of politics, personalities of politicians, generals, soldiers and locals, world opinion, battles.

A detailed account of the Dambusters raid of May 1943. Lots of info on the personalities involved, Bomber Command's overall strategy, technical development of the bouncing bomb, and a minute-by-minute account of the actual raid.

Pretty good - he includes some detailed analysis of the actual impact of the raid, including the large number of civilians and prisoners drowned, as well as reviewing the historical accounts (eg Paul Brickhill's book) in the light of more historical distance. Writing was unexpectedly clumsy in places I thought, maybe we blame the editor for that.

The story of the first British paratroop commando raid on the French coast in 1942. Attacking a radar station they pinched some of the German's electronic kit and brought it back to England for analysis.

Jolly good show, chaps.

Max relates the history of the build-up to the allied invasion of Western France in June 1944, and the details of events at Sword beach and the subsequent battle to advance forward to Caen.

This was very interesting, lots of good background around troops spending years training/killing time in Britain as they wait. Then plenty of detail around D-Day and the subsequent slow advance.