HistoryBookChat

SKYWATCH: A HISTORY OF THE ROYAL OBSERVER CORPS. VOL I: 1925-1939 By Kevin Wright Having previously read a rather dry official history, just the first flick through this book led my eye to be immediately caught by the many fabulous graphics, photographs, maps and illustrations positioned throughout.  Plaudits are also deserved for dividing the story of the ROC into three volumes, which allows author, Kevin Wright, the space to provide a fascinating and wide-ranging narrative.  In 2025, the ROC celebrated its 100th Anniversary. Kevin reveals how Britain's inadequate defences during the first world war failed to spot, warn and be in any great position to stop the German raids over London and the East Coast.  The post-war years were ones of incredible financial constraints and political decisions that slowed both the improving and strengthening of Britain's defences in time for the rising tensions that led to a second world war.  For that next period we will...

BEAUFIGHTER VS GERMAN FLAK SHIPS By Matthew Willis.  So often referred to as the 'Cinderella Service', Coastal Command's wartime role has always been the least mentioned when compared to both Bomber and Fighter Commands.  Thankfully, more books have being published in recent years and we now have another by the always excellent, Matthew Willis. This is book number 151 of Osprey's 'DUEL' series. As always, readers will quickly appreciate the many excellent photographs, artwork and maps. Matthew looks at the development of both the Beaufighter and its various armaments, as well as looking at its prey, the German flak ship or boat. Both would duel in a variety of theatres from Norway, and both the North Sea and the Mediterranean. I was also fascinated to learn more about the combat in the Balkans too. Something which has rarely been touched on in other books. Just as with their previous collaboration on the Swordfish, this book by Matthew and Osprey is ...

FRENCH NAVY 1939-42 By Hugues Canuel As naval books written in English tend to focus on the Royal Navy, the role and strength of its French equivalent is often overlooked.  This new book from Osprey and written by naval historian, Captain Hugues Canuel, throws a greater spotlight on the Marine nationale especially during the second world war.  With the ending of the Great War and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the majority of countries had neither the interest, nor the finances, to continue to build and modernise their armed forces. As the second world war began the book describes the strengths and types of ships that were then serving in the Marine nationale.  This would include the French having the world's largest fleet of submarines.  Following the Phoney War, the fleet's lesser known role in the Norway campaign is revealed. Between the evacuation at Dunkirk and Operation Torch, the story of the many dramatic battles, alongside the country's...

TURNING THE TIDE  By Thomas McKelvey Cleaver. Tom Cleaver takes readers back to  1942, where the inexperienced American pilots of the  USAAF would face their first moments of combat against far more experienced German and Italian adversaries.  As readers will learn, even before these battles commenced, the US pilots had to firstly fly over hundreds of miles of sea and desert, just to reach their bases on the African continent. This in itself proved to be no mean feat.  Amongst the narrative of events that start in North Africa and then later in Sicily, we meet and follow a variety of American pilots.  Just as the US soldiers did on the ground, their lack of inexperience would prove to be a costly exercise early on, with a huge number of both pilots and aircraft being lost. However, through gaining combat experience and adapting their tactics, our author reveals how these important early months would create a far better equipped air force that la...

THE WAR OF THE ROSES: VOL I By David Grummitt. In this first of three volumes, David Grummitt reveals the military campaigns of the War of the Roses, backed with incredible knowledge from forty years of research.  At the beginning, David states that many previous books have followed the mistakes written in many earlier books. So here he takes a fresh approach to not only the many battles, but the locations where they supposedly took place. After a brief introduction to what started the civil war, he begins in 1455 with the first of two battles that took place at St Albans. This civil war would actually spread from England's shores and ahead across to both Ireland and France, before both Northampton and Yorkshire would also see blood split. For a relative beginner like me who has only read a few books on this period, I have found David's narrative much easier to follow and appreciated both the maps and many photographs.  The illustrated artwork is also an excellent ...

EXPLODING RATS & OTHER DEVIOUS DEVICES OF SOE By Craig Moore. Not for the first time has a historian stumbled on a most interesting file whilst actually researching for another subject in the National Archives at Kew.  This happened to Craig Moore who, with just some light editing, has now brought us the said file in full. Written in 1946, this fascinating report includes many useful diagrams and photographs which reveal  the work of the Camouflage Section at SOE.  Much like 'Q' Branch in the James Bond films, their  work included the disguising and concealing  of microfilm, as well as explosive devices, inside everyday items. Often now for comic effect, the agents were also taught how to use make-up, toupees, glasses and false teeth to totally change their appearance. There is so much here that I have never seen before. One such example is some footwear with adapted soles that were shaped as a footprint. These was used in the Far East, to confus...