In the Service of the Emperor - The Rise and Fall of the Japanese Empire 1931-1945

In the Service of the Emperor - The Rise and Fall of the Japanese Empire 1931-1945

written by Brig N S Nash CBE and published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 -

Hardback - Pages 344

The expansion of the Japanese Empire between 1931 until its defeat in 1945 is one of the most extraordinary yet shocking episodes in human history. Extraordinary in that a relatively non-industrialised island nation was prepared to go to war, concurrently, with China, the most populous country, Great Britain with its world-wide empire and the USA, the wealthiest and most powerful country on earth. Shocking, as those 'in the service of the Emperor’ practiced persistent and unrestrained brutality as they conquered and occupied swathes of South East Asia. But, as this superbly researched work reveals, there is no denying their fighting and logistical expertise.

The author examines the political, economic and strategic effects of the rapid Japanese expansion and explores the cult of deity that surrounded the Emperor. The contribution of the Allied forces and their leadership is given due attention.

When retribution duly came, it was focussed on the military leadership responsible for unspeakable atrocities on their military and civilian victims—the physical perpetrators remaining largely unpunished. Japan, today, has still not acknowledged its wartime guilt.

The result is an authoritative, balanced and highly readable account of a chapter of world history that must never be forgotten.

I would like to say before I start that Japanese history is certainly not my strong point with regard to knowledge. So I have to say I have learnt an awful lot from this book, so much so I have started rereading it, because it is so comprehensive and detailed in information, for me this has been a fascinating read. The book first looks at the politics and economics of a fast-growing Japanese nation, a country that was fast-growing in population and personality. The book also looks at having an emperor and being run by a military leader and the difference that has on a nation and its mindset.

I found this book very educational and I have learned a lot, there is a lot of information and detail written in an informed way, and I’m rereading it mainly to help get more used to the names, places and personalities involved in the book. The book contains much text, information, graphs and tables, along with a steady flow of informative pictures and there also seems to be a good bibliography at the back.

Eyewitness at Dieppe - The Only First-Hand Account of WWII's Most Disastrous Raid

Eyewitness at Dieppe - The Only First-Hand Account of WWII's Most Disastrous

Raid written by Ross Reyburn and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 -

Hardcover - Pages 192

In August 1942, Allied forces mounted an attack on the German-held port of Dieppe; titled Operation Jubilee, it represented a rehearsal for invasion. The amphibious attack saw over 6,000 infantrymen, predominantly Canadian, put ashore, tasked with destroying German structures and gathering intelligence.

The doomed raid was an abject failure and became Canada’s worst military disaster.

Eyewitness at Dieppe is a long-overdue reissue of New Zealand-born writer Wallace Reyburn’s dramatic account of the raid. He was with the first soldiers clambering ashore, and aboard the last ship returning to England after six hours of carnage.

Awarded an OBE as the only war correspondent to witness the street fighting first-hand, Reyburn was fortunate not to be numbered among Dieppe’s dead, suffering just a minor wound inflicted by mortar shell fragments. His book, Rehearsal for Invasion was a wartime bestseller.

Accompanied by freelance journalist Ross Reyburn’s new foreword on his father’s account, this new edition tells us more about Wallace’s intriguing life and details the shortcomings of his father’s book, dictated by wartime censorship corrected in the post-war years through a withering condemnation of raid’s mastermind Lord Mountbatten.

Eyewitness to Dieppe is another very good book as it gives the first-hand opinions of someone who was there to experience the attack. The book is put together by Ross Reyburn, the son of journalist or war correspondent Wallace Reyburn, it’s put together using his written accounts at the time, his opinions about how things went and in quite a few parts he gives his take on certain events that happened. It is good to have accounts of what happened but it should be remembered that Wallace Reyburn wrote his accounts whilst in the thick of the action so his opinions are of what he experienced at the time, where we have since learned some of the events might have been slightly different when you look at all the information as a whole. Reyburn is quite rightly proud of the way the predominantly Canadian troops behaved and fought, but when you look at the action as a whole there were big mistakes made by those in charge, something Rayburn is not afraid to talk about in the book.

Ross Reyburn has done a good job of putting this book together and it’s nice to read an

account of someone on the ground, interesting to see how another side of a story can

differ from another. A very good book and I enjoyed this more personal account of an event.

Battle - Understanding Conflict from Hastings to Helmand

Battle - Understanding Conflict from Hastings to Helmand written by Graeme

Callister & Rachael Whitbread published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 -

Hardback - Pages 288

What are the critical factors that determine the outcome of battles? Which is more decisive in a

clash of arms: armies or the societies they represent? How important is the leadership of the

commanders, the terrain over which the armies fight, the weapons they use and the supplies

they depend on? And what about the rules of war and the strategic thinking and tactics of the

time? These are among the questions Graeme Callister and Rachael Whitbread seek to answer

as they demonstrate the breadth of factors that need to be taken into account to truly understand

battle.

Their book traces the evolution of warfare over time, exploring the changing influence of the social, political, technological and physical landscape on the field of battle itself. They examine how the motivation of the combatants and their methods of fighting have changed, and they illustrate their conclusions with vivid, carefully chosen examples from across a range of Western European military history, including the Norman Conquest, the Hundred Years War, the Wars of Religion, the Napoleonic Wars and the world wars, and beyond.

By exploring the wide range of interconnected factors that influence the results of battles, the authors broaden the study of this aspect of military history from a narrow focus on isolated episodes of conflict. Their original and thought-provoking writing will be fascinating reading for all students of warfare.

This is a very fascinating book indeed that looks at warfare and the reasons why we have

warfare from 1066 right up to modern-day warfare. Each chapter in this book looks are

various battles and explains one of the most prominent reasons for that battle or why it

was fought. For example, just from the first three chapters, cover Society, Grand Strategy

and Leadership and how these all played a major part in particular battles. We also have

chapters on Landscapes, Tactics and Logistics to name a few more. Some of the reasons

are explained and open up new aspects to various battles that some might not have

thought about before, but they also explain a good number of other factors. I must admit

that I really enjoyed this book and it made for a really fascinating read. It reminded me of

books on military history at university where the answers aren’t always clear to see on the

surface, certainly a book for those that like to think more deeply into the subject of military

history. I would like to see another similar book like this, looking at a wider number of

battles or maybe battles involving fighting in the air or on sea. An excellent book. 

Imprisoning Mary Queen of Scots - The Men Who Kept the Stuart Queen

Imprisoning Mary Queen of Scots - The Men Who Kept the Stuart Queen written by

Mickey Mayhew and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 224

Imprisoning Mary Queen of Scots covers the lives and careers of the men and women who

‘kept’ Mary Queen of Scots when she was a political prisoner in England, circa 1568/9-1587.

Mary’s troubled claim to the English throne - much to the consternation of her ‘dear cousin’

Elizabeth I - made her a mortal enemy of the aforementioned Virgin Queen and set them on

a collision course from which only one would walk away. Mary’s calamitous personal life,

encompassing assassinations, kidnaps and abdications, sent her careering into England

and right into the lap of Henry VIII’s shrewd but insecure daughter. Having no choice but

keep Mary under lock and key, Elizabeth trusted this onerous task to some of the most

capable - not to mention the richest - men and women in England; Sir Francis Knollys, Rafe

Sadler (of Wolf Hall fame), the Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife, Bess of Hardwick, and finally,

the puritanical nit-picker Sir Amyas Paulet. Until now, these nobles have been mere bit-

players in Mary’s story; now, their own lives, loves and fortunes are laid bare for all to see.

From Carlisle Castle to Fotheringay, these men and women all but bankrupted themselves in keeping the deposed Scots queen in the style to which she was accustomed, whilst fending off countless escape plots of which Mary herself was often the author. With the sort of twist that history excels at, it was in fact a honeytrap escape plot set up by Elizabeth’s ministers that finally saw Mary brought to the executioner’s block, but what of the lives of the gaolers who had until then acted as her guardian? This book explains how Shrewsbury and Bess saw their marriage wrecked by Mary’s legendary charms, and how Sir Amyas Paulet ended up making a guest appearance on ‘Most Haunted’, some several hundred years after his death. In that theme, the book also covers the appearances of these men and women on film and TV, in novels and also the various other Mary-related media that help keep simmering the legend of this most misunderstood of monarchs.

An excellent book looking at the various imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots who

needed to be kept safe/imprisoned securely in order to be able to execute her. This

would obviously take a lot of work and commitment especially if you were the family

entrusted with keeping her captive. This would have big effect on some people who

had to look after her, both financially and with regard to the relationships, the captors

already had. This book was full of wide range of stories all quite interesting and I felt

not really the usual we get in these types of history books. I really enjoy this author

Mickey Mayhew’s writing, and although a little different to his previous book House

of Tudor was still just as good. I enjoyed the profiles of all the main people in the

back of the book along with an excellent bibliography. A book, very well worth a read.

The N64 Encyclopedia - Every Game Released for the Nintendo 64

The N64 Encyclopedia - Every Game Released for the Nintendo 64 written by

Chris Scullion and published by White Owl Books - £30 - Hardback - Pages 256

The fourth book in Chris Scullion’s critically acclaimed series of video game encyclopedias,

The N64 Encyclopedia is dedicated to the Nintendo 64, one of the most well-loved games

consoles ever released. Although the Nintendo 64 didn’t sell as well as some of Nintendo’s

other systems, and although it struggled in the shadow of the bold newcomer that was the

Sony PlayStation, everyone who owned an N64 was in love with it and the four-player

multiplayer it provided as standard. Despite its relatively small library, the Nintendo 64 had

a healthy number of groundbreaking titles that would revolutionise the way we played video

games. The likes of Super Mario 64, GoldenEye 007, Mario Kart 64 and The Legend of

Zelda: Ocarina of Time remain iconic in the eyes of video game fans 25 years down the line.

This book naturally contains those games, but it also contains every other game released for

the system, no matter how obscure. It also covers every game released in Japan, including

those for the ill-fated Nintendo 64DD add-on which never left the country. With over 400

games covered, screenshots for every title and a light-hearted writing style designed to make

reading it a fun experience, the N64 Encyclopedia is the definitive guide to a truly

revolutionary gaming system.

I have to say that this book is called an N64 Encyclopedia and to be honest it has to be.

I remember my parents moaning at me as a teenager for spending too much time on

my games consoles, so I thought I knew quite a bit about games, particularly the N64.

But the author Chris Scullion has an immense and comprehensive knowledge here,

and what’s more, the book is also packed with many hints, tips and facts. This book

is a dream for any fan of the N64 and it seems so many games made for the console.

This book has so much information about the games and together it’s supported by

so many pictures, graphics and screenshots. It’s a great book for gaming fans, who

will love this.

Killers, Kidnappers, Gangsters and Grasses

Killers, Kidnappers, Gangsters and Grasses - On the Frontline with the Metropolitan

Police written by DIck Kirby and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback -

Pages 240

In his latest thrilling book, much-published crime author Dick Kirby draws on his fast

moving policing service, much of which was with Scotland Yard’s Serious Crime

Squad and the Flying Squad. As if that was not enough he brings in accounts of fellow

coppers during the final decades of the 20th century to add a fresh dimension.

It quickly becomes clear to the reader that Kirby and his colleagues practised their art in a markedly different style than that prevailing today. Corners were cut, regulations ignored and pettifogging rules trampled on in the wider public interest of bringing criminals to justice and preserving law and order. Above all the best senior detectives led fearlessly.

Kirby describes front-line policing where the public came first and the criminals a poor second. There are great stories of arrests, ambushes, fights and meeting informants in unlikely places.

Eyebrows may be raised at the book’s contents but many will feel that there is no place in the fight against serious crime for ‘woke-ness’ and political correctness and regret the passing of no-nonsense law enforcement.

This is the latest instalment of True Crime stories and thoughts from the remarkable Dick Kirby, a former serving police officer in the Scotland Yard Serious Crime Squad. I might be wrong but, I felt that this book was a bit more personal than his usual books, it is the same kind of book about gangs, villains and gangsters taking part in crimes he had been working on. But I felt like I was getting more opinions and thoughts from him, rather than an official line, which was nice to read. I enjoy Kirby books because you get the opinions of those on the front line, sometimes warts and all. Although things were done differently in those days, than they are in today’s policing. I would say most people would enjoy that mainly because it seemed people got things done and crimes solved, although we now know not all officers could be trusted. An easy to read book in a relaxed but written in an informed manner.

Voices of Russian Snipers: Eyewitness Red Army Accounts from World War II

Voices of Russian Snipers: Eyewitness Red Army Accounts from World War II

- written by Artem Drabkin & Andrey Ulanov and published by Greenhill Books

- £25 - Hardback - Pages 288 

‘Wiped out three Nazis in a shallow trench. But only got out by a miracle. The Germans

apparently guessed where my lair was and unleashed a hurricane of mortar fire … the

company had as good as buried me. Somebody saw a direct mortar hit on my lair.’

- Fyodor Dyachenko

‘The German snipers on the other side also engaged in stalking, especially stalking us women. They had no female snipers, just men’ - Antonina Kotlyarova

‘Dreadful death cries could be heard from the German trenches, where the enemy were bayonetting those of our wounded who had remained behind there’ - Klavdia Kalugina

‘Before firing I managed to get a good look at him through my sights. He was a young officer. He seemed to be looking straight at me and I shot him. But it was a human being! Then my feelings dulled and I went on killing the way we were supposed to’ - Antonina Kotlyarova

‘When we learnt on May 9th that the war was over, our joy knew no bounds […] I felt enormous relief when I heard the news of victory – now I wouldn’t need to kill anymore’ - Maria Bondarenko

With a wealth of first-hand testimonies, collected by Artem Drabkin, this is a unique collection of eyewitness accounts from the Second World War. The reminiscences of the Red Army snipers reveal fascinating details of life in Russia before the war, as well as the surprising commonality of the privation and unforgiving experience of frontline combat and the day-to-day starkness of sharpshooting.

The book includes testimony from celebrated snipers such as Fyodor Dyachenko, Alexander Romanyenko, Klavdia Kalugina, Antonina Kotlyarova and Maria Bondarenko.

This was a surprising book in that it was very informative about life in Red Army during the Second World War. I initially made the mistake of thinking it was one long account, but the book is a collection of first-hand accounts of various Russian snipers. Life in the was army, conditions, fighting in war, training and what I liked was the thought processed that was instilled in Russian snipers. I did think while reading this book that with current events going on the state of the Russian army does seem to have declined in recent decades. Also in one of the chapters, there is a ‘Best of the Best’ in terms of Russian snipers and how many kills are attributed to them. I enjoyed this book, and although I knew quite a bit about life as a soldier in the Red army, it was nice to read so many differing accounts, which was nice and refreshing with each chapter. Fans of the Eastern Front will enjoy this book.