USS Macdonough (DD-331)

USS Macdonough (DD-331) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Pacific Fleet during the 1920s, before being scrapped because of her badly worn boilers.

Curtiss HS-2L

The Curtiss HS-2L  was an improved version of the HS-1 coastal patrol flying boat that could carry a heavier payload, making it more suitable for use against submarines.

Operation Greif (16 December 1944 onwards)

Operation Greif (16 December 1944 onwards) was a German special mission during the Battle of the Bulge that failed in its main objective of capturing the Meuse bridges, but partly achieved its secondary objective of spreading confusion behind American lines.

The Army of Ptolemaic Egypt 323-204 BC – An Institutional and Operational History, Paul Johstono

Looks at the organisation and performance of the army of the first four Ptolemies, members of the longest lived of the successor kingdoms founded after the death of Alexander the Great. Takes advantage of the impressive array of surviving documents (mainly papyri) to study the structure of the army in great detail and then compare those results to what we know about the army’s performance, and what ancient historians reported about the army

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Napoleon’s Women Camp Followers, Terry Crowdy

A look at those women who were officially present with the French armies during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, focusing largely on the laundresses and the vivandiere or sutlers, who provided any supplies that weren’t part of the official ration. Based on a mix of official regulations, soldier’s memoirs and contemporary art works, this book paints an interesting picture of this key non-military element of the French army 

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The Bayonet, Bill Harriman

Looks at the long history of the bayonet, from its emergence as a novel weapon that helped revolutionised warfare in the seventeenth century by eliminating the need for pikes, through its time as one of the queens of the battlefield, before its downfall in the face of increasing firepower on the late 19th century battlefield. Good both on the physical development of the bayonet, and its use and influence on the battlefield  

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HMS Martin (1910)

HMS Martin (1910) was an Acorn class destroyer that served with the Second Destroyer Flotilla with the Grand Fleet in 1914-15, at Devonport from late 1915 to late 1917 and then on the Irish Station, before moving to the Mediterranean where she spent all of 1918.

USS Hull (DD-330)

USS Hull (DD-330) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Pacific Fleet in the 1920s before being scrapped because of her badly worn boilers.

Curtiss HS-1

The Curtiss HS-1 was a single engined flying boat that was used as a coastal patrol aircraft in American and French waters, and was one of the most significant American designed combat aircraft of the First World War.

Siege of Bastogne (18-26 December 1944)

The siege of Bastogne (18-26 December 1944) was one of the most famous parts of the battle of the Bulge, and saw a US garrison hold off repeated German attacks, badly disrupting the German plans.

Animals in the Second World War, Neil R. Storey

Looks at the full range of animal involvement in the war, from the practical use of horses, mules and dogs to the dreadful impact on domestic pets of the outbreak of war. Horse and mules, dogs and pigeons each get their own chapter, reflecting their wide-spread use, while other animals are covered topic by topic. Fairly short, but with lots of interesting material 

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The Junks and Sampans of the Yangtze, G.R.G. Worcester

A truly compelling book looking at far more than it’s title might suggest – as well as detailed examinations of the many different types of junks and sampans found on the Yangtze, we also get an enthralling account of life on that river as it was until fairly recently, written by a British member of the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, who was given eight years to research his topic! Has a timeless feel, despite being researched during a time of near constant civil war, followed by Japanese invasion, with the author spending time in a Japanese prison camp, and having to leave China after the Communist takeover. This is one of those books that I’m sad to have finished!

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The M4 Carbine, Chris McNab

A look at a weapon originally designed for rear echelon troops and other secondary uses but that has become one of the standard issue weapons in the US Army. Looks at its controversial early years and the prolonged series of improvements that turned it into a gun that is reliable, accurate and highly regarded by most who use it. 

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HMS Lyra (1910)

HMS Lyra (1910) was an Acorn class destroyer that served with the Second Destroyer Flotilla with the Grand Fleet in 1914-15 and at Devonport from late 1915 to late 1917. She was with the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean from January-July 1918 then based at Gibraltar from August to the end of the war.

USS Bruce (DD-329)

USS Bruce (DD-329) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Pacific Fleet in 1921 then with the Scouting Fleet in the Atlantic as well as spending a year in European waters.

Felixstowe/ Porte Baby

The Felixstowe/ Porte Baby was a three engined flying boat  that was developed as an alternative to the Curtiss H-4 ‘Small America’, but that was only produced in small numbers after the success of the Felixstowe F.2A.

Battle of St Vith (18-23 December 1944)

The battle of St Vith (18-23 December 1944) was a delaying action early in the battle of the Bulge that denied the Germans access to a key part of the road network in the Ardennes, and prevented them from moving the Sixth Panzer Army south once their own attack on the Elsenborn Ridge had failed.

Hitler’s Attack U-Boats – The Kriegsmarine’s WWII Submarine Strike Force, Jak P. Mallmann Showell

Focuses on a physical description of the three main U-boat models in German service during the Second World War, the Type II, Type VII and Type IX. Includes good sections on their development, but the main strength are the three chapters on the external features, internal features and crew positions on these boats, which include many details I hadn’t seen elsewhere, and which give a fascinating picture of life in these cramped and dangerous weapons

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Bayonet to Barrage – Weaponry on the Victorian Battlefield, Stephen Manning

Looks at the dramatic changes in weaponry during Queen Victoria’s reign, which saw the main infantry weapon go from smoothbore muzzle loading musket to the bolt-action magazine loaded Lee-Metfords and the introduction of the machine gun and the artillery barrage transformed the battlefield. Focuses on the way increases in accuracy, range and speed of firing gave the British an ever increasing advantage against most of their opponents, at least until they came up against the equally well equipped Boers 

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Ia Drang 1965 – the Struggle for Vietnam’s Pleiku Province, J.P. Harris & J. Kenneth Eward

Looks at a campaign that included two of the most famous small battles of the Vietnam War, at I Drang, looking at the original Vietnamese plan, the American response and the many flaws with that response that led to the famous battles. Benefits greatly from using sources from both sides, so we know what the Vietnamese were attempting to achieve as well as the Americans. Also acknowledges the many flaws with the US plan, which saw a small force dropped into the middle of an enemy held area, and then split in two! 

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HMS Larne (1910)

HMS Larne (1910) was an Acorn class destroyer that served with the Second Destroyer Flotilla with the Grand Fleet in 1914-15 and at Devonport later in 1915, with the British Adriatic Squadron attached to the Italian fleet in late 1916-early 1917, the Malta Flotilla for most of the rest of the war and the main Fifth Destroyer Flotilla from July 1918 onwards.

USS Lamson (DD-328)

USS Lamson (DD-328) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Atlantic Fleet during the 1920s, and spent a year in European waters, before being scrapped because of her badly worn boilers.

Naval Aircraft Factory PN

The Naval Aircraft Factory PN was the designation for a series of closely related flying boats that were developed from the Curtiss F-5L, an American version of the British Felixstowe F.5, which was in turn the final member of a series of flying boats developed from the earlier Curtiss H-4. The last members of the PN family didn’t retire from US service until 1944, extending the life of the Curtiss H and Felixstowe F families across both World Wars!

Battle of the Elsenborn Ridge (16-23 December 1944)

The battle of the Elsenborn Ridge (16-23 December 1944) was a key American victory early in the battle of the Bulge that denied the Germans access to two of the four roads they required for their main attack towards the Meuse.

Religion and Classical Warfare – The Roman Republic, ed. Matthew Dillon & Christopher Matthew

Looks at the role of religion in warfare in the Roman Republic, with a general focus on the more stable period of the middle Republic, where the patterns of religious life are at least partly documented. Paints an interesting picture of the role of religious ritual in the annual pattern of military activity in the Republic, as well as looking at some of the more unusual aspects of Roman religion including the rare examples of human sacrifice, the idea that gods could be persuaded to abandon their home city and ‘move’ to Rome, and the religious role of the Eagles 

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Ypres 1914: Messines, Nigel Cave and Jack Sheldon

Looks at the fighting around Messines during the First Battle of Ypres, where the Germans were able to capture the ridge itself but were unable to break through the British lines or capture Ypres itself. Covers the early cavalry actions fought before the line began to stabilize as well as the more famous battles around Messines Ridge at the end of October, when a thin line of exhausted troops from the BEF managed to slow down and then stop a German attack. Supported by a series of guided tours to the battlefield area, each with its own map and comments on the area 

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The History of the panzerjager Volume 2, Thomas Anderson

Looks at the weapons used by Germany’s anti-tank forces in 1942-45, the period that saw the introduction of ever-more powerful weapons, starting with the 7.5cm PaK 40 of 1942 and building up to anti-tank versions of the 88mm Flak gun. Also looks at the increasingly complex array of self propelled guns produced by the Germans. All supported by extensive use of after action reports, which give a fascinating insight into how effective the German troops thought their weapons were, and what improvements they wanted

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HMS Hope (1910)

HMS Hope (1910) was an Acorn class destroyer that served with the Second Destroyer Flotilla with the Grand Fleet in 1914-15 and at Devonport later in 1915, then with the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean in 1916-18.

USS Preston (DD-327)

USS Preston (DD-327) was a Clemson class destroyer that served with the Atlantic Fleet in the 1920s, and in European waters in 1925-26, before being scrapped because of her badly worn boilers.

Navy Aircraft Factory/ Curtiss F-5L

The Navy Aircraft Factory/ Curtiss F-5L was an American version of the Felixstowe F.5, which was the final member of a family of Felixstowe boats developed from the Curtiss H-4, and which became the standard US Navy patrol flying boat during the 1920s.

Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944-25 January 1945)

The battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944-25 January 1945) was Hitler’s last major offensive in the west, and the largest American battle of the Second World War. Although the Germans managed to gather a sizable army in secret and attacked a weakly held part of the American lines, their attack hardly achieved any of its first day objectives, and as a result by the time they were able to get their panzer divisions into actions, the Americans had moved reinforcements into the area, eliminating any chance that the Germans might have achieved a significant breakthrough.