question Suggested reading & watching?

[martylee]

Help!

 

I need something to do during the easter which is about one and a half week away. Evertything will be closed for half a week, it's too early to get the Dodge out, so what do I do? Or rather what books and what movies do I get?

 

For the books I want something historic, non fiction. Of the better books I've read is the "The Guts to Try: The Untiold Story of the Iran Hostage Rescue Mission by the On-Scene Desert Commander". I'd really like to read more about the modern US ops in Panama and south america, but don't know of any good books. Perhaps you do?

As for ww2 related stuff I've read a lot about army and airforce, perhaps not that much about the navies. Also read a lot of western europe, pacific and russia. Perhaps not that much about partisans in the Yugoslavia and that area. Come on with your suggestions!

 

As for movies I just like to watch movies with military vehicles, perhaps some special ops movies if they're to be found!?

 

I hope you can help me out!

 

Marty

[martylee]

I found a list of war movies at wikipedia.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_films

 

 

Marty

[abn deuce]

Thank for the link , seems very comprehensive .

[griff66]

for book read chickenhawk by r. mason very good about a huey pilot.

[martylee]

for book read chickenhawk by r. mason very good about a huey pilot.

 

I've done what you told me! :-) Just ordered Chickenhawk and added another about Skunkworks, the history of U2- SR-71.

 

Thank you for the suggestion!

 

Marty

[robin craig]

Try reading "The Moon is a Balloon" by David Niven and "Fetch Felix" about EOD work in NI.

 

R

[cpltomo]

Good book as seen from the "other" side Is Panzer commander.

http://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Commander-Memoirs-Colonel-Hans/dp/0440208025

[Tony B]

If you can find it 'Braver Men Walk Away' by Peter Gurney, ATO, and then Cheif Explosive Officer for Met Police at the height of the IRA campaings.

[martylee]

Good book as seen from the "other" side Is Panzer commander.

http://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Commander-Memoirs-Colonel-Hans/dp/0440208025

 

That one I've read and found to be a real good book! Thanks! :-)

 

Marty

[mike65]

Was flicking through my Virginmedia Cable channels yesterday morning (makes F1 more exciting if you miss bits) and now have Military History Channel.

Basically the title says it all.

Watched some interesting programs about "secret " spy planes.

Did not realise tht prior to the SR71 Blackbird the US had used an unmanned jet spy plane.

Four missions and four did not come back. CAn't remeber what is was calles now, basically looked like a SR71 engine and surroundwith Saab Draken wings. Russians had the wreck of one for years but had no idea of its importance.

They also re=engineered a U2 replica from the bits of the Powers one they shot down.

Looks like I will be watching this more often

 

Mike

[abn deuce]

I recently purchased some dvd's from a chain of Video store going out of business . One of the dvd's I have found is on the link that martylee posted . Its "Dark Blue World " the movie is set at the outbreak of WWII in 1939 , it tells a story of a number of Czechoslovakian pilots who escape the Germans and make their way to Britian to join the RAF , The dialog is in Czech , German and English where needed with English subtitles . The scenes seem to be period correct , many vehicles and aircraft . Its a Sony pictures classic # 09273 . Give it a peek and I think you will like it .

[cosrec]

Dare i be as bold as to suggest the Great escape its got to be on its easter Not a lot of vehicles on it but still enjoyable

[martylee]

Dare i be as bold as to suggest the Great escape its got to be on its easter Not a lot of vehicles on it but still enjoyable

 

That one I bought and watched just a little while ago. A good movie indeed!

 

Marty

[AlienFTM]

A couple of years ago I started on the Flashman series. I did enjoy them but had grown fed up before I completed them (sadly, cos GMF was a superb storyteller: check out The Complete MacAuslan and Quartered Safe Out Here).

 

My nephew must have got what smacks to me of being an obscene bonus payment (working for one or other of the major European banks) because his Christmas present was exceptional beyond words, in the form of a Waterstones voucher.

 

I converted my share into starting on the Matthew Hervey series by Brigadier Allan Mallinson (former CO of 13th/18th Hussars who amalgamated with my own former regiment 15th/19th Hussars in 1992 to become The Light Dragoons). Mallinson's first work was indeed a history of the four then two regiments which amalgamated twice to become The Light Dragoons.

 

The series centres on a young cornet in a fictional 6th Light Dragoons who seem to have been to all the same battles as 13th, 15th, 18th and 19th Light Dragoons (who all restyled as Hussars in the 19th century before amalgamating as 13th/18th Hussars and 15th/19th Hussars in 1922) even though history shows for example that 15 LD were the only regiment awarded the battle honour Sahagun because they were the only regiment to turn up. (Wikipedia tells us that the Tinny Tenth, 10 Hussars, commanded by Black Jack Slade were at Sahagun but that stretches the truth a little. To quote Wiki:

 

The 10th arrived too late to play an active role in the action, primarily because Slade insisted on making a stirring, and apparently long, speech ending in the words: "blood and slaughter, march!

"

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_John_Slade,_1st_Baronet

 

Basically 15 LD were still taking up position as backstop to await 10H to push French cavalry out of the town, but were spotted by the French who were slipping out through the back door having realised that the Tenth were pratting about at the front door. The French, assuming them to be Spanish, stood their ground and waited to repel the charge only to learn their mistake when 15 LD slaughtered them. Stuff it. Read it yourself:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sahag%C3%BAn )

 

Anyhoo. The series starts with 6 LD breaking out of the Pyrennees and advancing on Toulouse, Napoleon surrenders, the regiment heads off to Ireland (lucky not to be disbanded as part of the peace dividend) only to be recalled to fight at Waterloo.

 

The series gives an astonishingly vivid account of life in a cavalry regiment in the post-Napoleonic period, much of it spent in India.

 

I have read comments that consider the series to compare the post-Napoleonic British Army in India with the post-WW2 British Army in Germany in which the author served.

 

I'll be buying the next two books in the series very soon (and all-too-soon they'll be finished.

 

Warning it's more bodice-ripper than war porn. Don't expect Napoleonic Sven Hassel. By the same token it isn't Mills & Boon either. What it is is historically flawless fiction.

[cpltomo]

Here is one for you read "mailed fist" then read on called "from normandy by tank" and when you look and map both they both meet and pass each other a few times Strange world back in ww11

[martylee]

Here is one for you read "mailed fist" then read on called "from normandy by tank" and when you look and map both they both meet and pass each other a few times Strange world back in ww11

 

That sounds very intresting! I will look for them on amazon!

 

And thank you everyone who have recommended books and dvds.

 

Marty

[ashley]

Hi all,

one book for the list "The sky my Kingdom" biography of Hannah Reitsch world renowned glider pilot and the top test poilot for Adolf Hitlers luftwaffe from bombers to doodle bugs, covers both pre war and post war times.

 

Ashley