Bookshelf

D-DAY TO BERLIN

This is book compiled using newspaper headlines covering the key stages of World War II from June 1942 when the first American forces began to arrive in Britain. The author adds some commentary but the format has been done before and readers will not find anything new in this work. It is nice to see some of the less familiar pages of newspapers of the time but many of the images are well-known and have been used many times. The format has been done well and the propaganda jingoism of the reporting at the time is interesting to read.  This is a nice work for students of journalism who can see how momentous events from over 70 years ago were recorded and presented to the public at the time.

AUTHOR: David Edwards.
PUBLISHER: Haynes Publishing, tel. 01963 442030.
www.haynes.co.uk
ISBN: 9780857332103
PRICE: £25

THE JEWISH REVOLT AD 66-74

The Middle East is a highly volatile region, especially around Israel, and this work reminds us just how long it has been involved in conflict. Over 2,000 years ago the Jews rose to fight back against Roman oppression and a story which would be familiar today. Studying the Roman Empire is a favourite subject among historians but works like this remind us how brutal they could be when faced with opposition to their rule. The subject is also popular with modellers and war gamers, and both categories of hobbies would enjoy this work. Israel has a tourist industry and many of the sites mentioned in this book can be visited. At the site of Masada the Romans built a massive earthen ramp to storm the Jewish stronghold and its remains are still to be seen today and this book can be used as a guide to the location.

AUTHOR Si Shepard.
PUBLISHER Osprey Publishing, tel. 01865 727022
www.ospreypublishig.com
ISBN 9781780961835.
PRICE £14.99

WOUNDED – FROM BATTLEFIELD BACK TO BLIGHTY 1914-1918

As we approach the centenary of the outbreak of WWI it is only right and proper that we take time to reflect on the cost in human lives. The veterans could tell their own stories but those killed and many of those that were wounded need historians to retell their experiences. A soldier’s wish was to get a ‘Blighty’ wound which was not too severe but just sufficient to get him sent back to England. This book tells how preparations were made to receive the wounded, the numbers of which threatened to swamp the medical services. There are many fascinating aspects contained in this book, such as how soldiers were encouraged to donate a pint of blood in exchange for a pint of beer. This is a story that tells how soldiers were cared for after they could not fight any longer.

AUTHOR: Emily Mayhew.
PUBLISHER: The Bodley Head, Random House,
Tel. 020 7840 8784. www.bodleyhead.co.uk
ISBN: 9781847922618.
PRICE: £20

MARTELLO TOWERS

Early in the morning of 13th June 1944 Royal Observer Corps ‘spotters’ in Dymchurch Martello Tower tracked an unidentified aircraft-type object and reported its flight. What they had seen was a V-1 flying bomb and their coastal defence emplacement was in the front line again, more than 140 years after it was built. Martello Towers are familiar sites on coastal landscape which were originally built to counter an invasion from France. They were criticised for their expense and waste of resources and by the end of the 19th century they had never fired a shot in anger. The author has collected together material to produce a directory of the towers built in England, and provide a potted history of each site with a guide to its location. Many still exist and can be visited but others are in private ownership. The stories behind some give the history a nice twist and may generate a new interest in Martello Towers. Taken as a whole this is a work for anybody interested in military architecture.

AUTHOR: Michael Foley.
PUBLISHER: Amberley Publishing, tel. 01453 847800
www.maberley-books.com
ISBN: 9781445615226.
PRICE: £14.99.

ITALIAN SOLDIER IN NORTH AFRICA 1941-43

During WW II British newspapers ridiculed the fighting prowess of the Italian soldier in battle and derided them when they surrendered in their thousands. This opinion spread and continues to this day and is stated as being undeniable fact by those who have not completed much research into the subject of the Italian Army in WW II. There are a number of books on the subject which set the records straight, and this new title adds to that list. The authors have compiled an accessible history that explains the weapons, equipment, role and logistics in North Africa. The fighting quality of the Italian is examined, including accounts of the Allies who faced them, and hopefully readers will come away with a different opinion. Well researched, packed full of useful information, this handy book should be of value to re-enactors, modellers and war gamers.

AUTHORS: P. Crociani & P.P. Battistelli.
PUBLISHER: Osprey Publishing, tel. 01865 727022.
www.ospreypublishing.com
ISBN: 9781780968551.
PRICE: £11.99.

CAMPAIGN 1914.

Collecting memorabilia from the First World War has long been popular with enthusiasts. This superbly illustrated book is jam-packed with images to inform collectors about what makers’ marks to look for on items and where they are located. The author is a collector of long-standing and has drawn on his collection along with items from fellow collectors to produce this highly detailed work. This is the first title in a planned series and deals with uniforms and artefacts up to the end of 1914. It contains some personal documents and some extremely rare items. The story of the water bottle with the bullet hole is fascinating and the Christmas tins are very moving. Museums not familiar with putting on exhibitions connected with the war would be advised to use this as a reference work on how to display artefacts and conserve them.  As we approach the centenary to mark the outbreak of WW I we will see more books of this type, but it is unlikely we will see any more of this quality. Collectors already know the reputation of the standards set by Military Mode and over the next couple of years they can expect more exciting titles connected to WW I to join this work on their shelves.

AUTHOR: Chris Pollendine.
PUBLISHER: Military Mode Publishing, tel. 07789 005991.
www.militarymodepublishing.com
ISBN: 9781628475920.
PRICE: £49.49 includes p&p.