Monday, September 30, 2019

Thomas-Morse O-19

The Thomas-Morse O-19 was a two-man observation biplane loosely based on the Douglas O-2, but with an all metal structure. 171 production aircraft were ordered, and it became one of the standard US observation types at the start of the 1930s.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Antipater’s Dynasty – Alexander the Great’s Regent and his Successors, John D Grainger

A useful study of the short-lived dynasty founded by Antipater, Alexander the Great’s deputy in Macedonia during his great campaign, and continued by his son Cassander, who overthrew Alexander’s dynasty and declared himself to be king of Macedonia. A good choice of topic, filling a gap in the history of the period, and demonstrating just how significant this pair of father and son were in the creation and then the destruction of Alexander’s empire
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Lincoln's Bold Lion: The Life and Times of Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin, James T. Huffstodt

A biography of a relatively minor Union general, with a unusually close relationship with President Lincoln, a friend and political colleague of his father. Not a terribly high ranking man, but one who was present at many of the major battles in the eastern theatre, and played a crucial role in the defence of Washington against Early’s raid and in the hunt for Lincoln’s assassins. Includes more material on his pre- and post- war lives than is often the case, which gives us a better view of the man and his times
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The Pope’s Army – The Papacy in Diplomacy and War, John Carr

A military and political history of the Papacy, from the earliest years under Roman rule, through the long period where the Pope was also the temporal ruler of the Papal States, through the unification of Italy and on to the present day. An entertaining dash through the almost two thousand long life of one of the oldest institutions in the world
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Friday, September 27, 2019

Führer-Grenadier Division

History of the short-lived Führer-Grenadier Division, created as a battalion in April 1943 as the Führer Grenadier Battalion when the Führer Begleit Battalion was split into two.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

USS King (DD-242)

USS King (DD-242) was a Clemson class destroyer that took part in the fighting in the Aleutians in 1942-43 then served off the US West Coast for the rest of the war.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

HMS Coquette (1897)

HMS Coquette (1897) was a D class destroyer that served with the Nore Local Defence Flotilla, before being sunk by a German mine on 7 March 1916

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Thomas Morse O-6

The Thomas Morse O-6 was an all-metal version of the Douglas O-2, one of the main American observation aircraft of the mid 1920s.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

In Action with the Destroyers 1939-1945 - The Wartime memoirs of Commander J A J Dennis DSC RN, ed. Anthony Cumming

 A very engaging autobiography, covering the author’s wartime experiences in destroyers, and in particular his time on the Griffin, a modern destroyer, but with limited AA capability. Dennis’s wartime career included the Malta convoys, the Arctic convoys, anti-invasion duties in 1940, the D-Day landings of 1944, a brief foray into the Indian Ocean at the height of the threat from Japan, the evacuation from Crete and an impressively wide range of other battles and theatres
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