The Scapegoat: The life and tragedy of a fighting admiral and Churchill's role in his death - Steve R Dunn

The information presented was written by Chris Buckham; however, it was published in Soldier Magazine. Therefore, the material is reproduced here by the author with the permission of the magazine. If you would like to republish this information or refer to excerpts please contact the Assistant Editor Soldier Magazine (rclark@soldiermagazine.co.uk). Website for the Magazine is: http://www.army.mod.uk/soldier-magazine/soldier-magazine.aspx

Title: The Scapegoat: The life and tragedy of a fighting admiral and Churchill's role in his death

Author: Steve R Dunn
ISBN: 978-1-84624-971-6
Hardcover
Pages: 252
Publisher: Book Guild Publishing
Photo's: 4 b/w
Rating: 4/5

The Battle of Coronel in WW1 has, for the most part, faded into the annals of history; the author has shed new light on this engagement. Drawing upon a myriad of primary sources, Dunn highlights the politics, jealousies, tragedy and farce that undermined the ultimately futile efforts of Admiral Cradock to stop the German Far East fleet from escaping back to Germany at the beginning of the war. Well-written, balanced and critical, the author presents the reader with a macro level canvas encompassing issues of political interference, ship building technology and service environments of both adversaries before focusing on the personalities of Cradock, Churchill and the battle that cost him (Cradock) his life. An engaging read of a noble yet tragic figure.       

United States vs German Equipment 1945 - Uwe Feist

The information presented was written by Chris Buckham; however, it was published in Soldier Magazine. Therefore, the material is reproduced here by the author with the permission of the magazine. If you would like to republish this information or refer to excerpts please contact the Assistant Editor Soldier Magazine (rclark@soldiermagazine.co.uk). Website for the Magazine is: http://www.army.mod.uk/soldier-magazine/soldier-magazine.aspx

Title: United States vs German Equipment 1945

Author: Uwe Feist
ISBN: 978-0-8117-1314-6
Hardcover
Pages: 312
Publisher: Stackpole Books
Photo's: multiple b/w and colour
Rating: 4.5/5

 

Following awareness of ongoing complaints from US soldiers regarding the quality of their equipment when compared with that of the Germans, Gen Eisenhower ordered that a comprehensive investigation of said claims be made and the results reported back to him. This book is a verbatim reproduction of that report from March,1945. Replete with numerous accompanying photos, it covers everything from tank vs panzer to shelter halves, rations, personnel weapons and helmets. This is an excellent source document for both the casual and professional historian who is interested whether or not the Germans had consistently better equipment in terms of quality, but were beaten by quantity. I particularly enjoyed this high quality publication.

The Encyclopedia of Warfare - Multiple Authors, Foreword by Dennis Showalter

The information presented was written by Chris Buckham; however, it was published in Soldier Magazine. Therefore, the material is reproduced here by the author with the permission of the magazine. If you would like to republish this information or refer to excerpts please contact the Assistant Editor Soldier Magazine (rclark@soldiermagazine.co.uk). Website for the Magazine is: http://www.army.mod.uk/soldier-magazine/soldier-magazine.aspx

Title: The Encyclopedia of Warfare

Author: Multiple Authors, Foreword by Dennis Showalter

ISBN: 978-1-78274-023-0

Hardcover

Pages: 1024

Publisher: Amber Books

Photos: 100’s maps

Rating: 4/5

 

As a reference guide to international conflict, this book has few equals. Drawing upon the collective knowledge of multiple historians, it summarizes over five thousand different battles ranging from the earliest recorded fights of the ancient world up to engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan. The book is written in chronological order by period with each subsection broken out by consecutive year. This makes for very easy reading and research. Additionally, for the more significant engagements, coloured maps are included. Each battle may be taken in context with others or read in isolation with equal effect; an excellent reference text encompassing a daunting period.

Medieval Warfare - Bob Carruthers

The information presented was written by Chris Buckham; however, it was published in Medieval Warfare Magazine. Therefore, the material is reproduced here by the author with the permission of the magazine. If you would like to republish this information or refer to excerpts please contact: Dirk van Gorp (editor@medieval-warfare.com).  Website for the Magazine is: www.karwansaraypublishers.com/‎

Title: Medieval Warfare

Author: Edited and Introduced by Bob Carruthers
ISBN: 978-1-78159-224-3
Pages: 224
Softcover
Photographs: 43 b/w sketches

Carruthers has undertaken, with his book Medieval Warfare, to bring the work of 19^th century Scottish historian and author James Grant to a new audience. The author provides an introductory chapter and then limits his involvement to editing Grant’s work for a more modern reading culture (while still retaining the flavor of the original work). Thus it is that a number of medieval encounters of limited renown, such as Halidon Hill, Najera and Roverai, are once again brought to light alongside a number of better known encounters such as Agincourt, Bannockburn and Hastings.

Each of the seventeen battles reviewed is outlined and discussed in such a manner that the reader is provided an adequate explanation of the background to the conflict and how the engagement unfolded. Each chapter represents an individual battle and each may be read independently without having to refer to earlier parts. This makes for a book that may easily be picked after a period on the shelf and restarted from where one left off.

Along with a discussion of how the battle unfolded, Grant (the original author) provides images of the weapons from the period and explanations of how they were used in combat. He also discusses tactics and planning methods that commanders exercised. These tactics extended to both land and sea borne battles. Thus, for example, the reader is introduced to the use of unslaked lime being thrown from English to French ships during the Battle of Dover in order to blind and burn their adversaries as the English boarded the French ships. Additionally, he also provides fascinating insights into the methods and requirements for the levies that made up the medieval armies. A typical English (non-noble) soldier was expected to be an expert with the long bow and be able to fire at least twelve times a minute with no misses at 250 yards. Grant also incorporates the politics of the period as part of the explanation behind the instigation of hostilities. This can be rather confusing given the convoluted alliances and titles of the medieval period; notwithstanding the fact that strife was just as likely to be instigated both internally within a household as externally between ‘countries’.

The language used by Grant in describing the engagements does come across as somewhat dated; however, this is to be expected as it is essentially his original articles from the mid 1800’s with minor editorial adjustments. Nevertheless, they remain easily read and followed. Additionally, given the time frame between when Grant wrote his pieces and modern analysis of the battles, new information has come to light that has had a significant impact on what we understand took place. Therefore, items such as numbers of combatants involved and the character of individuals (such as King John) while accurate given the information available in the 19^th century are somewhat skewed by 21^st century evaluations.

I was somewhat less than impressed with the style of the introduction provided by Mr Carruthers. Specifically, I found it to be grammatically awkward in many places and that there exists a series of typographical errors. It struck me as being hastily and casually drafted. Conversely, the information provided by Carruthers as part of his introduction was beneficial as he provides an educational (albeit truncated) synopsis of siege warfare, fortifications, army organization and recruiting from the period.

The book is not long and it covers a significant period of time. Therefore, the degree of depth and analysis of the combats reviewed is relatively short and superficial. Nevertheless, it does achieve a number of successes in that it brings to light a number of key conflicts through which may be traced the development of weapons and tactics throughout the medieval period. Additionally, by introducing the reader to the conflicts, it serves to act as an engaging doorway to stimulate further study into the periods, especially into those battles that have not had the public exposure of Agincourt or Hastings. Overall, I would say that it is a worthwhile and interesting read but not a critical addition to one’s library.

 

Raid de Dieppe - Nicolas Bucourt, Herve Fihue, Frederick Jeanne, Mathieu Masson

Title: Raid de Dieppe

Author: Nicolas Bucourt, Herve Fihue, Frederick Jeanne, Mathieu Masson
ISBN: 978-2-84048-316-8
Hardcover
Pages: 396
Illustrations: Hundreds
Publisher: Heimdal Publishing

                The raid on Dieppe resonates thoughout the annals of Canadian military history as a tragic example of Canadian valor and determination. There are many books that trace the conception, planning, execution and aftermath of this battle but few are as eye-opening and disturbing as this book from Heimdal publishing.

                The authors have collected a stunning array of photographs (colour and black and white) from the days preceding, during and following the battle from both the Allied and German sides. While some of these photographs are very well known, a vast majority are extremely rare and each tells a story. The commentary accompanying the photographs is equally impressive. They provide extensive background on the units (Canadian, Allied and German) involved and balance between individual and collective narratives. Additionally, in depth detail of the individual battles at Berneval, Pourville, Puys and Varengeville are provided through the reproduction of unit histories, eye witness accounts and after action reports.

                As indicated earlier, I have never seen such a collection of photographs of the engagement. They provide outstanding visual reinforcement of the stories surrounding the obstacles that the Canadians faced as they came ashore and the advantages that the Germans had with their control of the high ground overlooking the beaches; in addition are extensive descriptions of what is being shown. The book can also serve effectively as an excellent reference for the battle as the authors provide comprehensive casualty lists, medal recipient information and pre and post activities of the Germans and Allies.

                It is interesting to see the degree of support provided to the Allied wounded and prisoners by the Germans following the battle. There is evidently a significant degree of professionalism and mutual respect as well as a lack of animosity between the adversaries. It is fascinating what the Germans focused on for propaganda purposes and also the level of interest that this engagement spawned from senior German commanders (as evidenced by visits from Marshall von Rundstedt, Albert Speer and SS-Ogruf Sepp Dietrich). Additionally, the authors outline how the Canadian armoured vehicles were recovered, evaluated and then put into service by the Germans on the Eastern front.

                Aug 19^th will continue to be remembered as a black day in the annals of Canadian military history. This book, with its outstanding production value and unprecedented depth and breadth of visual and narrative reconstruction of the battle, is an absolute necessity for any personal library. The book is only available with French text; however, don’t let that dissuade the potential non-French buyer. It is worth every penny.

Killing Sheep: The Righteous Insurgent - Mark Blackard

The information presented was written by Chris Buckham; however, it was published in Leatherneck Magazine. Therefore, the material is reproduced here by the author with the permission of the magazine. If you would like to republish this information or refer to excerpts please contact the Editor Leatherneck Magazine (W.Ford@mca-marines.org ). Website for the Magazine is: www.leatherneckmagazine.com

Title: Killing Sheep: The Righteous Insurgent

Author: Mark Blackard
ISBN: 9781936956005
Softcover
Pages: 299
Illustrations: 17 Colour
Publisher: Morris Publishing

I will say at the outset that when I received this book to review I did not anticipate enjoying it. My initial thought was one of “another author who knows all of the answers better than everyone else”. After reading Blackard’s book I came away with a very different impression. Certainly he is very critical of the US and its policies/procedures/attitudes within Afghanistan and the book is not a balanced evaluation of how things are accomplished (for example, Blackard is not adverse to making very sweeping generalizations critical of the US command structure without trying to understand why some of these things are in place) but he does make some very interesting points/observations from his perspective working with the Afghans directly.

The author, Mark Blackard, arrived in Afghanistan in 2009 for a one year stint, after a twelve year career as a narcotics police officer and two tours embedded with US marines in Fallujah, Iraq. He was employed as a contractor working as an advisor/operator as part of the JIEDDO (Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization). His role in Afghanistan was to act as an advisor to Afghan law enforcement (working in conjunction with, but not for, the US military) to combat the IED (Improvised Explosive Device) threat in the region of Jalalabad. Blackard’s book recounts his experiences over the course of that year. He outlines his team’s successes and failures, the effect of overlaying a US military bureaucracy over operations in the Afghan region, his relationship and respect for his Afghan teammates and his trust and regard for their competency working issues the ‘Afghan’ way versus the western way. He also recounts to a great extent his frustration with the conduct of the Afghan war by senior US military and government agencies. Specifically, he sees them as out of touch with the realities of the Afghan people and racist/intolerant of those who are not ‘western’.

The book is written from a tactical perspective; that is to say that there is no attempt (or intention) of trying to evaluate the conflict beyond the confines of his and his teams immediate experiences. Blackard’s writing style is very informal in keeping with his overall approach to life and operations. He defines things very much in a black and white fashion. That is to say that there is very little room in his evaluations for actions that are not in keeping with his perception of how things should be conducted. For example he is very harsh in his criticism of the death of Afghan civilians resulting from US operations. He views these all as murder and perceives the US as having little to no regard for these actions. If effect, as far as Blackard is concerned, the US military leadership does not care about these losses (referring to them simply as collateral damage).

While Blackard’s observations and arguments are simplistic, he does touch upon a number of valid issues that will continue to affect the conduct and effectiveness of asymmetric (and symmetric) conflicts in the future.

1.       First and foremost, the growing level of risk aversion amongst military and civilian leadership. Without doubt this is one of the greatest challenges facing the west today as it affects every aspect of how operations are conducted from planning to execution. Blackard came face to face with this on a regular basis and his examples are enlightening and disturbing.

2.       The increasing effect that utilizing technology such as drones has on soldiers. In essence these technologies distance them from the effects of their actions thereby enabling them to disassociate themselves from the results. War becomes more of a video game as opposed to a gritty, hands-on experience. This in turn affects mind sets and paradigms surrounding conduct of war. Friendly casualties are less tolerated and there are greater gulfs/distances created between the Afghan population and the Allied forces. This is in turn leads to a lower level of understanding of the different cultures which in turn affects trust and confidence between the Afghan people and the western forces.

3.       The bureaucracy of a modern military regarding administrative oversight and C2 (command and control). Western militaries are becoming more and more regimented and structured such that decision making and administration are no longer timely and efficient. Blackard sites several examples of his inability to fund/execute operations that he was mandated to perform due to convoluted lines of command.

4.       The ethical conflict relating to the realities on the ground to the expectations of the bureaucracy. Blackard writes of undertaking drug interdiction operations where, in order to ensure the literal survival of the families involved, some drugs had to be left behind to provide them income. These are challenges and realities of life in these locations and is reflective of the types of decisions that personal are forced to face and decide upon.

 

Overall, Blackard’s book is an interesting and engaging read. As stated, he is somewhat simplistic in his views. There is no question that Blackard has no tolerance or time for those he views as bureaucratic ‘company men’ and he thrives in the ‘wild-west’ atmosphere of Afghanistan where he is constrained minimally by regulation and oversight. In my opinion, his book, despite making some very valid points, loses some credibility with his constant criticism of the US military and government thereby undermining some of the strengths of his own arguments.

The Other Side of the Wire Vol 2 - Ralph J. Whitehead

The information presented was written by Chris Buckham; however, it was published in The Canadian Military History Journal. Therefore, the material is reproduced here by the author with the permission of the Journal. If you would like to republish this information or refer to excerpts please contact CMHJ (kirk.goodlet@canadianmilitaryhistory.ca). Website for the Journal is: http://www.canadianmilitaryhistory.ca/

Title: The Other Side of the Wire Vol 2

Author: Ralph J. Whitehead
ISBN: 978-1-907677-12-0
Pages: 481
Hardcover
Photographs//Maps: 255 b/w, 32 maps

Ralph Whitehead’s seminal work on the experiences of the XIV German Reserve Corps during the first day of the Battle of the Somme (1^st July, 1916) is one of the most comprehensive accounts of the German perspective during the fight. The date, which has been connected with the death of the ‘old’ British Army (as a result of the 60,000 casualties sustained in one days operations), has been extensively written about from the perspective of the Allies. Comparatively speaking, very little has been researched or drafted from the side of the Central Powers; this book serves as the “audi alteram partem” (to hear the other side), for the Germans.

The author, while not a professional historian, has an admitted fascination with the First World War and the experiences of the German Army in particular. He has therefore taken it upon himself to research and present the German experience. He has consulted extensively the unit histories and firsthand accounts left by survivors. His attention to the XIV German Reserve Corps has resulted in a level of detail unparalleled in a vast majority of histories. Following on the success of his first volume, which tracked the activities of the Corps from September, 1914 until June 1916, Whitehead has narrowed his focus to a single 24 hour period that has been recognized as a defining interaction between the British and the German armies.

 

Given that the focus of this book is limited to July 1^st, 1916 in the region of the XIV Reserve Corps, it is logical that the primary focus will be tactical with an operational component setting the environment for the reader. Whitehead has taken a very structured approach to outlining the battle space for the reader; this is very helpful given the number of units and locations involved. The battlefield descriptions are  broken down regionally running from the north to the south through the XIV Corps area of operations by German unit (thus commencing in front of Beaumont-Hamel with Regiments 121 and 119). Using German operational maps (either original or reproduced for clarity) he subdivides his narrative into individual company size engagements according to pre-existing delineations identified by the Germans. Further scope and depth are added by the inclusion of photographs, maps and firsthand individual recollections all relating to that particular engagement.

The maps used to illustrate the book are, for the most part, very beneficial. They are all in their original German but are relatively easy to follow. It would have been helpful to have had a single overall ‘control’ map at the beginning of the book in order to provide context. Some unfortunately, are far too detailed and busy and are therefore of questionable benefit to the narrative.

Whitehead provides an excellent chart outlining the German rank structure and there equivalents in the English system. This is of note due to the fact that he refers to soldiers mentioned by their regimental rank affiliation as opposed to a standardized one. Thus a medical captain is not a Hauptmann but a Stabsarzt and a Sergeant Major in the cavalry is identified by his proper Wachtmeister as opposed to the standard Feldwebel. This is indicative of the attention to detail incumbent in this book.

Additionally, through the narration of the British assaults and the German responses, the reader comes to understand in much greater detail the evolution and nature of trench warfare at this stage of the war. How communications were executed, command and control maintained, the immediate response drills of the Germans to breaches in the trench system and the horror and close-in violence of hand grenade, entrenching tool and machine gun engagements are all outlined in explicit detail. Perhaps of a more insidious and psychological nature are the experiences of the soldiers waiting out the prolonged (in this case eight days) British artillery preparation for the assault, waiting in their deep bunkers unable to strike back but focused on the opportunity for payback; having only to endure. This followed by the post battle images and sounds of the thousands of British dead and wounded trapped in no-man’s land, unable to reach safety and succor, doomed in many cases to die alone and in pain; often times meters from the German lines.

The psychology and mental strength of the German soldier under these conditions is also revealed through their personal writings and recollections; Whitehead’s narrative sheds light on some of the  coping mechanisms of the individual soldiers. Given, however, the fact that this narrative centres upon one of the more violent days of the war exclusively, it is easy for the reader to forget that this was an exceptional level of violence and not the norm. Despite the fact that the book focusses almost exclusively on the German experience, the reader cannot help but also be moved by the sheer scope of the British slaughter (on average at least at a ratio of 10:1) and the audacity and courage with which they pressed their attacks.

It must be stressed that this is not a book specifically studying and interpreting strategy or the changing nature of war and its effects upon the individual soldier. Rather, Whitehead has recreated the conditions and experiences of the German units and soldiers as they unfolded on 1 July, 1916. Through his narrative and the narratives of the soldiers themselves, the reader is provided an insight, albeit one bracketed by the limitations of language, into one horrible day. His primary source material (both published and unpublished), drawing upon numerous unit histories and first person recollections, is notably augmented by an extensive secondary source list.

Helion, has produced a first rate book of the highest quality. Ralph Whitehead has written a book that is a critical addition to any aspiring military historian of a professional or casual background. This book is recommended in the strongest possible terms.