Most of these books are second hand but I've seen several copies in 2nd hand shops in Scotland and in the Midlands of England, so they are not unavailable. Just to be perverse, I'll start with the new one in the pile:
"Harold, The Last English King" by Ian W. Walker pub: by Sutton, Stroud, Gloucerstershire - (grit your teeth) - £ 25. This book sets out to be fair to Harold Godwineson, King of England, died 1066. It starts with his birth in 1022 (probably) and family origins and how he dealt throughout his life with "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." How he became the trusted advisor and military expert to Edward the Confessor (King of England). Helped him to secure the succession of Edgar Atheling (Prince) putting down Gruffydd of Wales and banishing Tosti (Tostig) his own brother, for the good of the realm.
Finally the two battles - Stamford Bridge and Hastings - invasions really from Norway in the North and Normandy in the South. Harold overcame all the many threats but the last. Being one of Pa Engliscan Gesipas, I believe the Normans destroyed a much better civilization than theirs and Britain has suffered from the after effects, in some sense, until today. Ian Walker studied History at Glasgow University and it a civil servant in the Scottish Office Education Department.
"The United States Cavalry, an Illustrated History" by Gregory J. W. Urwin. Illustrated by E.L. Reedstrom. Published by Blandford Press in UK and by Sterling Publishing Co in the USA. ISBN 0 7137 1219 8. From the War of Independence to the Second World War, the US cavalry played a prominent part in all military conflicts, domestic or foreign. There are 32 color plates, each with 3 uniformed figures in the book illustrating the sections, and there are more than 100 B&W illustrations, many old photographs showing the uniforms, equipments and accoutrements of the different periods. There is a rather legendary account of the Lt. Col. William Washington crossing swords with Banastre Tarleton - other accounts put in "maybe" or "perhaps" but Urwin gives a blow by blow account. The majority of the book seems well researched however, and there is a select bibliography near the end (p. 188). Of course the book is crammed with dashing cavalry leaders, names from Light Horse Harry Lee, Kearney, Sheridan, Custer, Roosevelt, to Pershing and Patton.
"The Desert Rats, the History of the 7th Armoured Division, 1938 to 1945" by Major General G.L. Verney DSO, MVO, published by Hutchinson. I was very pleased to find this book as I served with HQW 7 ARMD DIV, BAOR 42 in Verden in 1953-54 (West Germany as it was then). All the "glorious deeds" were over then of course, but quite a lot of veterans were serving still and us National Servicemen trying to emulate their camping craft on the frequent exercises in which we took part! General Verney commanded the division (General "Windy" Gale was in command in my day), so he knows what he's talking about. He also had the support of the War Office (Ministry of Defense as it is now called).
Verney commanded in Normandy and the advance to Belgium. Field Marshall Sir John Harding CIGS (at that time) wrote the Forward. The book covers the campaign in the N. African desert, the landing at Salerno in Italy and the whole of the Northwest Europe campaign - which means they landed on D-Day and fought for most of the eleven months of European war that remained. It isn't too technical, even for non tankies, and shows what difficulties the ordinary soldier was up against.
Now: "Tanks in Battle" by Colonel HCB Rogers, published by Sphere Books, paper back. I paid £ 1 for a grubby reference only copy. This book takes one from the Hyksos Chariots through Charlemagne's heavy cavalry and "The Age of Chivalry" to the "Age of the Rifle." Then, "The Birth of the Tank" and finishing rather lugubriously with Chapter 20 "Nuclear Age."
Finally, not a book, a magazine, The Journal of the Continental Wars Society, The Foreign Correspondent. This issue, No. 38, May 1998. Those interested should contact Ralph Weaver, 37, Yeading Avenue, Rayners Lane, Harrow, Middlesex, HA2 9RL, Tel. 0181 868 108 1. The interest of the group is 19th Century European conflicts - down to 1914 - so we overlap a bit. This issue has the Victorian Military Society Fair report, Balkan War Uniforms and Figures (1912-1913), the 1848 uprising in Venice, some uniforms of 1848 - National Guard of Parma and French Garde Marine-Mobile. Book news.
The First Battle of Custoza 1848. A visit to the Musee de L'Armee, Paris. An Award to Archduke Albrecht 1870. The Battle of Oversee, 1848, Prussian/Danish War (can you guess the main theme of issue No. 38 by now?) 1848, The Revolution Forestalled (The Chartist Riots, Great Britain). An explanation of the excellent coloured cover picture - The Royal Hungarian Noble Bodyguard. Finally, more uniforms of 1848 - Soldier of Schleswig Holstein Infantry Regiment and a Wurtemburg Infantryman. The annual subscriptions still incredibly low - if you are interested, why not join?
There we are; I hope those notes help. It's funny, I feel that 7AAMD DIV book was just sitting there waiting for me. I found it in a little Antiques, Brac a Brac, Tea Room and Books placed called "The Hen Hoose" near Moniaive in Dumfries and Galloway, while I was on holiday.
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© Copyright 1997 Hal Thinglum
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