by many
'A detailed and a highly readable narrative ... Smith does succeed in conveying to the reader a feel for the epic scale of Leipzig and how all of Europe participated - a true battle of the nations and a recommended read.' - Dr. P. J. C. Elliot-Wright in Military Illustrated reviewing 1813: Napoleon and the Battle of the Nations by Digby Smith. 'The author's detailed account of Leipzig concentrates on the ferocious fighting, charts the fortunes of the bitter struggle and underlines the incredible human cost of the battle. Using a wealth of first-hand accounts, many of them previously unpublished in English, he brings the events to life and demonstrates just what it must have been like for the average French, German, Russian, Prussian, Austrian or Swedish soldier to take part in the battle of the Nations. There are eight appendices detailing the orders of battle, with 34 monochrome illustrations and six maps supporting the highly readable text. In short, another cracking title from this eminent military publisher.' - Stuart Asquith in Military Modelling reviewing 1813: Napoleon and the Battle of the Nations by Digby Smith. 'The bulk of photographs in this volume, taken from the USMC and Navy collections, has not been seen before, and hence is of great interest.' - Ron Fielding in Military Illustrated reviewing The Marines in World War I: From Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay by Christopher J. Anderson (G.I. Series). 'Graphic accounts couched in surprisingly modern prose which captures vividly the horrors of the war ... starving horses and men, poor equipment, lack of clothing and tents, bad leadership are all mentioned ... this record must be one of the most valuable commentaries on the Crimea, it reads like a novel and gives us an insight into this sorry episode which it would be difficult to match.' - Military History Society Bulletin reviewing Eyewitness in the Crimea 1854-56. The Crimean War Letters of Lieutenant Colonel George Frederick Dallas, edited by M. H. Mawson. 'For students of the period this is a book not to be missed, yet one which can be picked up and dipped into at leisure.' - Medal News reviewing Eyewitness in the Crimea 1854-56. The Crimean War Letters of Lieutenant Colonel George Frederick Dallas, edited by M. H. Mawson. 'This is another one of those excellent Greenhill Military Manuals. When you consider the price and the large amount of subject material covered, it must rate as a highly cost effective purchase.' - Gun Mart reviewing Submachine Guns by Ian V. Hogg (Greenhill Military Manuals). 'Authoritative ... this volume is a pure reference work containing fundamental information providing a cornerstone for the library of our many readers who have a deep interest in the German army: this is not a book for the casually interested. One of the things I look at when examining a book is to try to separate the amount of solid information from padding, there is no padding whatsoever here, just hard facts from cover to cover. As such the price of £35 in my opinion makes it a very cost effective purchase.' - Gun Mart reviewing The German Order of Battle: Infantry in World War II by George F. Nafziger. 'The author has captured the feel and atmosphere of the period ... I must say that this book captures the authenticity and very essence of this terrible war and I have no hesitation in recommending it to the modeller, re-enactor and historian.' - Gun Mart reviewing The Civil War Soldier - A Photographic Journey by Ray M. Carson. 'This unique compilation of in-depth accounts of German commanders, presents D-Day and the events leading up to it from the point of view of the officers, entrusted with preventing the Allied landings. ... This book paints a superb picture of D-Day from the German perspective, bringing home the entire experience from the initial waiting, to the bitter fighting on the beaches, and running battles in Normandy villages. These are first hand accounts by German officers and commanders that have never been published before in any language. It is refreshing to read an account of D-Day from a new perspective, which is another first for Greenhill Books who should be congratulated.' - Military Modelcraft International reviewing Fighting the Invasion: The German Army at D-Day by Gunther Blumentritt, Wilhelm Keitel, Alfred Jodl, Walter Warlimont, Freiherr von Luttwitz, et al. Edited by David C. Isby. 'The main reason that the reader will want to keep revisiting this book is down to the superb photographs within its covers. The vessels are pictured from keel laying, through building, operational service and in some cases final demise. Many an hour can be spent studying these superb photographs. ... Combined with a readable and authoritative text this is a fascinating record of a powerful class of warship. ... This book is a fitting tribute to these, the last of the German heavy cruisers and is highly recommended.' - Warship World reviewing Heavy Cruisers of the Admiral Hipper Class by Gerhard Koop and Klaus-Peter Schmolke. 'An epic, monumental new volume, 4,000 years of military history are brought to life through the words of more than 800 soldiers, commanders, military theorists and commentators on war. ... a highly readable, thought-provoking book packed with quotes on diverse aspects of military history and a must for the military enthusiast.' - Gun Mart reviewing The Greenhill Dictionary of Military Quotations by Peter Tsouras. 'Absorbing stuff.' - Military Modelling reviewing Memoirs of Napoleon's Egyptian Expedition 1798-1801 by Captain Joseph-Marie Moiret. 'The best and most thorough overall coverage of the subject available ... a tremendous and unrivalled body of work.' - Military Modelling reviewing Half Track: A History of American Semi Tracked Armored Vehicles by R. P. Hunnicutt (Presidio). 'Kriebel's part is interesting and easy to read. Even if it gives no new perspectives it has the advantage of insider knowledge.' - Journal of the Royal Artillery reviewing Inside the Afrika Korps: The Crusader Battles 1941 by Colonel Rainer Kriebel and the US Army Intelligence Service. 'Each of the "options" displays its author's impressive knowledge of the terrain and the Order of Battle of the contestants. Indeed, they are intriguing examples of coupling vivid imagination to deep study of the subject. That is evident in Paddy Griffiths' picture of what would have happened if the French Expedition to Ireland in 1796 had arrived intact ... the editor takes on the masterly task of showing how Napoleon could have turned the tables on the Russians at the Bridge over the Beresina at Borisov. It is a Tour de Force ...' - Journal of the Royal Artillery reviewing The Napoleon Options edited by Jonathan North. 'Although this book is based on the big 'what ifs' of the Napoleonic Period, there was a real possibility that these scenarios could have happened, with maybe the exception of the last chapter written by Colonel Elting, which was more fiction than fact, but still a very gripping chapter ... the book does show the thin line between 'real history' and 'what ifs', and how history can be changed by such things as luck, the man on the spot and weather (above all luck!)... Well worth a read and will create hours of discussion on the subject of 'what ifs', and I am sure we can all add to this area of study ... How about Davout at Quatre-Bras instead of Ney?’ - Miniature Wargames reviewing The Napoleon Options edited by Jonathan North. 'Is one of the most authentic and authoritative accounts of aerial warfare in the 1914/18 conflict.' - Model Flyer reviewing Flying Fury: Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps by James McCudden, VC. 'This is an excellent resource book! The author has produced a concise account of the history and development of one of the most important infantry weapons of the twentieth century, the sub-machine gun. ... Very useful for model makers and anyone interested in weapons.' - Model Mart reviewing Submachine Guns by Ian V. Hogg (Greenhill Military Manuals). 'This attractive and lavishly composed new book ... Medieval Combat presents not only a unique historic record of hand-to-hand combat but also a visual guide for modern-day practioners. ... The first English translation of this remarkable how-to volume. It offers freeze-frame instructions on medieval martial arts using swords, shields, poleaxes, daggers, and wrestling, both on foot and on horseback. The illustrations are good. Many of the plates, in fact, do not so much demonstrate step-by-step techniques as display bouts at the moment when one technique has prevailed over another. Rector wrote a good introduction and added helpful footnotes throughout. This book should appeal to any martial arts buff as well as the historically minded reader.' - Military Heritage reviewing Medieval Combat: A Fifteenth-Century Illustrated Manual of Swordfighting and Close-Quarter Combat by Hans Talhoffer, translated and edited by Mark Rector. 'History is not pre-determined by economic weight or anything else; unlikely as it seems, a Japanese victory is just plausible. Rising Sun Victorious gives some thought-provoking suggestions about how it might have been achieved.' - Military Illustrated reviewing Rising Sun Victorious: The Alternative History of How the Japanese Won the Pacific War by Peter G. Tsouras. 'A brilliant example of the author's thorough academic study of the subject ... an awesome body of work.' - Military Illustrated reviewing Instrument of War by Christopher Duffy. 'Excellent ... impeccably researched ... For me, several things emerge from this study of the Tunisian campaign. First, the less-than-sparkling performance of some of the British high commanders, especially General Anderson, commander of First Army. Second, the patchy performance of the American ground forces, although to be fair this was the US Army's first exposure to combat in the European theatre, and their learning curve was steep and impressive. Thirdly, the tenacity and skill of the German defenders, although arguably they were wrong to reinforce the Tunisian bridgehead in the first place, as this decision resulted in them losing more prisoners than at Stalingrad. The Bloody Road to Tunis is an important book, and we are unlikely to see a better account of this campaign for some years to come.' - Gary Sheffield in Military Illustrated reviewing The Bloody Road to Tunis: Destruction of the Axis Forces in North Africa, November 1942 - May 1943 by David Rolf. 'We must be very grateful to Lionel Leventhal of Greenhill Books for re-publishing this most important book about the naval war 1939-1945 as seen from the 'back rooms' of the British Admiralty, and for asking two great experts to write a new introduction and an afterword. 'Jock' Gardner from the Naval Historical Branch in London, who himself published articles and a most important and competent book on this topic, gives a broad and instructive overview about the historiography of the naval war and the Battle of the Atlantic and the role 'Ultra' was assigned to it by the authors since Patrick Beesley's book, which he still considers ground breaking. And Ralph Erskin, well known for his many articles on the technical details of the 'Enigma' and the German rules to use this machine, as well as to the ways taken to break into this system, published in the journals Intelligence and National Security and Cryptologia, delineates in his afterword the results of the 25-years of research into the role of signal intelligence in the Battle of the Atlantic. So even the owners of the original edition of Patrick Beesley's book, but also all historians and readers interested in the naval warfare must read and use this new edition of Very Special Intelligence with its most important introduction and afterword to be up to date!' - Jurgen Rohwer in the Journal of Intelligence History reviewing Very Special Intelligence by Patrick Beesley. 'An excellent guide for expert or beginner, made available in a user-friendly format.’ - Syd Wigzell in Sabretache, The Journal and Proceedings of The Military Historical Society of Australia reviewing Small Arms: Pistols and Rifles by Ian V. Hogg (Greenhill Military Manuals). 'Greenhill has published superb works on Deutschland class pocket battleships, the Bismarck and Tirpitz, and the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. This fourth book, on the Hipper class heavy cruisers, covers the Hipper, the Blucher, the Prinz Eugen, and the uncompleted Seyditz and Lutzow. These are four definitive works.' - Ships Telegraph reviewing Heavy Cruisers of the Admiral Hipper Class by Gerhard Koop and Klaus-Peter Schmolke. 'A wonderful collection of contemporary black and white photos of each cruiser.' - Model Mart reviewing Heavy Cruisers of the Admiral Hipper Class by Gerhard Koop and Klaus-Peter Schmolke. 'Another invaluable reference work from Greenhill.' - Syd Wigzell in Sabretache, The Journal and Proceedings of The Military Historical Society of Australia reviewing Submachine Guns by Ian V. Hogg (Greenhill Military Manuals). 'Ian Hogg expertly matches the necessary data and his personal knowledge of the subject matter to lift this little 'first-point-of-call' reference book away from what could have turned out to be just another dry-as-dust handbook. Fully illustrated throughout with a handy comparative table of submachine-gun statistics, this one delivers the goods. It's not an in-depth, last word technical work on the subject, but it does have all you need to know about a very wide range of types and it's highly recommended.' - Military Modelling reviewing Submachine Guns by Ian V. Hogg (Greenhill Military Manuals). 'In this book the author weaves together the testimony of hundreds of eyewitnesses and has produced a breathtaking and atmospheric account of the greatest amphibious landing ever attempted. ... This enthralling story brings to life all the drama of 6th June 1944. ... This superb book with its excellent and informative text, is a superb history taken from the mouths of men who fought on D-Day.' - Gun Mart reviewing Dawn of D-Day - These Men Were There: 6 June 1944 by David Howarth. 'An essential tool for any serious student of World War II.' - The Newsletter of the New York Military Affairs Symposium reviewing Chronology of the Great War, 1914-1918 edited by Lord Edward Gleichen. 'This is a ripping good story of crashing shot and shell, with clashing arms and much splattered blood.' - Library Journal (USA) reviewing They Fight Like Devils: Stories from Lucknow During the Great Indian Mutiny, 1857-58 (Sarpedon). 'Highly recommended.' - Military Modelling reviewing German Armoured Units at Arnhem September 1944 by Marcel Zwarts (Concord). 'There are a lot of new photos here which have not been seen in other publications.' - Military Modelling reviewing The Sherman at War (2) (Concord). 'The definitive cartridge reference work ... it has no equal.' - Target Sports reviewing Cartridges of the World 9th Edition (Krause). Back to Greenhill Military Book News No. 109 Table of Contents Back to Greenhill Military Book News List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Greenhill Books This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com |