Laugh or Cry

Laugh or Cry written by Gary Bain & Peter Hart and published by

Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 224

'Awakened by great shouted oaths below. Peeped over the side of the manger and

saw a Belgian lass milking and addressing a cow with a comprehensive luridness

that left no doubt in my mind that British soldiers had been billeted here before.'

Private Norman Ellison, 1/6th King’s Liverpool Regiment

Humour helped the British soldier survive the terrible experiences they faced in the trenches of the Western Front during the Great War. Human beings are complicated, and there is no set pattern as to how they react to the outrageous stresses of war. But humour, often dark and representative of the horrors around them could and often did help. They may have been up to their knees in mud and blood, soaking wet and shot at from all sides, but many were still determined to see the ‘funny side’, rather than surrender to utter misery. Peter Hart and Gary Bain have delved deep into the archives to find examples of the soldier’s wit. The results are at times hilarious but rooted in tragedy. You have to laugh or cry.

I’ve only just done my top 10 books for 2022, and here we have a very early contender for my top 10 list for 2023. I think this book was made for me as I loved the humour in it, either that or being from a forces family I could understand the humour and the comments of men away from home serving in the military. The book is absolutely packed with first-hand quotes from men serving on the frontline, and the book covers many different topics that would affect men at war such as the Home Front, getting Back Home, prospects of being killed, going over the top, the top brass, life living in the trenches and working with each other from all different backgrounds.

The book goes along nicely going from one quote to another, it’s an easy read because the book is written very well indeed. I also enjoyed some of the quotes that might be seen as a little near the knuckle or not very PC, which is what you want because these are the words written by the men themselves rather than what we have to read sometimes these days. Written by a couple of excellent historians, I can’t really fault this book at all, and is surely a must of any Great War fans.

Armies of Anglo-Saxon England 410–1066

Armies of Anglo-Saxon England 410–1066 written by Gabriele Esposito

and published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 176

In the early 5th century, Germanic Angles, Saxons and Jutes crossed the North Sea in increasing numbers and began settling among the ruins of the former Roman province of Britannia. This led to centuries of warfare as these 'Anglo-Saxons' carved new, independent kingdoms at the point of the sword, fighting the native Britons and each other. From the late eighth century they also had to face the threat of the Vikings, at first as opportunistic raiders but increasingly bent on conquest. The last Viking invasion was defeated by Harold Godwinson at Stamford Bridge but he was defeated by the Normans in that same fatal year of 1066, ending the Anglo-Saxon Age.

Gabriele Esposito gives an overview of Anglo-Saxon military history, narrating the great campaigns, such as those of Alfred the Great of Wessex and Harold Godwinson. He discusses in detail the composition of Anglo-Saxon forces, their tactics, weapons and equipment, detailing developments across the period. The informative, accessible text is supported by dozens of colour images showing replica Saxon war gear in use.

The author Gabriele Esposito has written another fantastic book here again, she brilliantly

picks out a group/tribe and brings you everything you would want to know about them.

Down to what they wear everyday and in battle, what tools/instruments/weapons they

would use and even down to their tactics and organisational skills in war. They really do

make fantastic reading and probably what isn’t celebrated enough is the pictures and the

quality of them. I would say that this is the second of her book I have read and I have fully

enjoyed both and they are fast becoming my favourite Pen & Sword series, and that must

mean they are good because we’re talking high quality here.

The Pathfinders

The Pathfinders written by Sean Feast and published by Key Publishing

- £25 - Hardback - Pages 320

This definitive history of the Pathfinders and the role they played in World War Two takes

an in-depth look at the elite unit, from its initial inception, and less than spectacular start,

to its development as a precision instrument that transformed bomber operations. The

aircraft, technology and weapons used are covered in full, as are the characters involved

with the unit. The author also details the training and techniques deployed, in particular

the emergence of the Master Bomber and Long-Stop systems. Finally, the Pathfinder

Force’s contribution to victory is assessed. This comprehensive look at one of the war’s

most fascinating units will give the reader a greater understanding of the unit’s vital

contribution to the war and show how some of the techniques developed are still in use

today.

In this book we get the story of an elite unit, part of the RAF or in particular, Bomber

Command and the Pathfinders. This book takes you from the inception of the unit

through to the fact that it became an elite unit despite all the ups and downs or

conflicts that were faced in between. This particular part of the war that took part in

the RAF was contested by some mercurial characters, such as Aussie Donald

Bennett, his rival in the group Sir Ralph Cochrane and on top of that you had the

forceful Sir Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris, a group of very strong and determined characters

who had to try and work together. The book also takes a look at the crews used, the

training and plans, and the various operations that took place that went from tragedy

to triumph. This book has been written very well and it is written in an easy-to-read

manner which makes the ‘difficult’ areas easier to understand. This was a thoroughly

good read and one I would happily recommend to anyone who was a fan of Bomber

Command.

Armoured Warfare in the British Army 1939-45

Armoured Warfare in the British Army 1939-45 written by Dick Taylor and

published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 360

The second volume in Dick Taylor’s three-volume illustrated history of the evolution

of armoured manoeuvre warfare in the British army covers the period of the Second

World War, in which the tank came of age and developed into the principal land

weapon of decision. He describes how, during the first half of the war, the British

army came close to disaster from the armoured warfare perspective and how the

bitter lessons of failure were learned in time to deliver success in 1944 and 1945.

As well as providing a fascinating overview of the tactical use of armour during the main campaigns, he considers such much-neglected aspects as the role of training and organization, officer selection and recruitment, and the mechanization of other arms. His wide-ranging book also features extensive, well-laid-out tables giving key information about British armour during this period.

This expert account quotes heavily from the vivid recollections of soldiers who served in armour, and is not afraid to criticize as well as praise.

This book is I think the second of three, and I must admit I read the first book covering the first world war and its armour, I have to admit that it is to a high standard just like the first. Like the first book, this book and the author hasn’t fallen into the same trap of just condemning anything that was British. Whilst it might say that certain things could have been done better this book/series takes a more upbeat mood of British armour.

Because of the time period it covers, this book really looks at WW2 in particular and the theatres of war that featured British armour such as North Africa, the Mediterranean and France with the biggest emphasis being in the region of France. The book is very well written and Dick Taylor is clearly and expert on this subject, but I like the way he writes and he is very informed and has comprehensive detail. An enjoyable book, very well written and a book I have learned a lot from told from a neutral perspective.

Victorian Murderesses

Victorian Murderesses written by Debbie Blake was published by

Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 222

The Victorian belief that women were the ‘weaker sex’ who were expected to devote

themselves entirely to family life, made it almost inconceivable that they could ever

be capable of committing murder. What drove a woman to murder her husband, lover

or even her own child? Were they tragic, mad or just plain evil?

Using various sources including court records, newspaper accounts and letters, this book explores some of the most notorious murder cases committed by seven women in nineteenth century Britain and America. It delves into each of the women’s lives, the circumstances that led to their crimes, their committal and trial and the various reasons why they resorted to murder: the fear of destitution led Mary Ann Brough to murder her own children; desperation to keep her job drove Sarah Drake to her crime. Money was the motive in the case of Mary Ann Cotton, who is believed to have poisoned as many as twenty-one people. Kate Bender lured her unsuspecting victims to their death in ‘The Slaughter Pen’ before stripping them of their valuables; Kate Webster’s temper got the better of her when she brutally murdered and decapitated her employer; nurse Jane Toppan admitted she derived sexual pleasure from watching her victims die slowly and Lizzie Borden was suspected of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe, so that she could live on the affluent area known as ‘the hill’ in Fall River, Massachusetts.

I love a book full of crime stories and this one looking at women who murder from the Victorian era doesn’t fail to entertain. I don’t know what it is about Victorian era crime, maybe it’s the black and white photos or the fact that people didn’t exactly live in the best places or conditions, but things always come across grim or in an unfortunate way. Victorian Murderesses looks at seven separate case from Lizzie Borden, Mary Ann Cotton to the Boston Borgia. The book tries to look at reasons for the murders such as insanity, pleasure, abuse or just the impossible. The chapters look at these reasons through newspaper accounts, court records, diaries and letters. There are some great stories here and they all fit together in this great book nicely. A good book if you enjoy true crime books involving women who murder.

Avro Vulcan: The Early Years 1947–64

Avro Vulcan: The Early Years 1947–64 written by David W Fildes and published

by Key Publishing - £15.99 - Softcover - Pages 96

Advances in aerodynamics and jet engine technology after World War Two led to the

RAF Air Staff producing an Operating Requirement (OR229) for a bomber that could

use these new technologies. To meet this requirement, the Avro Initial Projects team

adopted a Delta wing design. This was a major change in aircraft design, as little was

known about the Delta wing. The design of the Delta wing Vulcan was a major gamble

by all concerned. However, it proved an incredibly valuable asset, especially during

the Cold War. It was used in both high- and low-level roles and performed some of the

longest bombing and anti-radar missions by the RAF during the Falklands War in 1982.

After serving over three decades with the RAF, the Vulcan was retired in1984, but it

continued display flying with the Vulcan to the Sky Trust until 2015, delighting the

public with its noise and maneuverability. Fully illustrated with over 150 images, this

book explores the history of the Vulcan, from concept to manufacture to service,

providing insight from those who developed, designed, and flew it.

The Avro Vulcan, surely this has to be everyone’s favourite post war plane, a giant swooping through the skies and the roaring thunder sound as it went overhead. As former RAF brat, when you got to see these at an RAF camp they were always the centre of attention, and they would always get the crowds in when they fly in or take off. 

Avro Vulcan The Early Years, 1947-64 takes a yearly look at the Vulcan right from the first initial thoughts, designs and drawings. In this beautiful and nifty little book, the book shows the reader through the whole process of drawings, designs, models and full sized prototypes. We even get to see the actual factories, people and workforces involved in a very good number of photographs, and I think this helps get across the emotion and love that many aviation fans love about this plane. As the book goes along we can see the various design changes, upgrades and the evolution of the Vulcan, this book is very high on the technical aspects such as measurements & design which will appeal to your real technical fan, but for small book it has such a lot of excellent photos of the Vulcan in flight which will appeal to the reader who just loves the beauty and design.

This was such a fascinating book and I loved the comprehensive detail and data that

you don’t often get in some books. I found this book would appeal to all fans no matter

how much detail they would want because there is something for all in these books.

Certainly a book I enjoyed and would happily recommend to other aviation fans. 

The Steep Atlantick Stream

The Steep Atlantick Stream written by Robert Harling and published by

Seaforth Publishing - £14.99 - Hardback - Pages 232

First published in 1946, this atmospheric memoir of the Battle of the Atlantic offers one of

the most original accounts of war at sea aboard a corvette, escorting convoys in both the

North and South Atlantic. The author, an RNVR lieutenant, experienced the terrors of

U-boat attacks and the hardships of autumn gales as well as the relief of shore runs in

ports as far apart as Halifax and Freetown.

The narrative begins with Harling’s voyage from the Clyde to New York on the Queen Mary (or QM, as she was known during her martial career), on route to join a newly-built corvette in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was to be her First Lieutenant, and his service at sea started in the spring of 1941, just as the battle of the Atlantic was entering its most crucial stage. During the first east-bound convoy he was to experience attacks by U-boats, the loss of merchant vessels and a steep learning curve as the ship’s crew struggled to live in the harsh wartime conditions. Later that summer they made return voyages to Iceland where runs ashore offered some solace from dangerous days at sea. Time was also spent in the South Atlantic with voyages to Freetown and Lagos, before a short interlude when he experienced the excitement of fighting with Coastal Forces. The corvette subsequently returned to escorting convoys from Halifax to Europe.

His narrative is both serious and humorous, and his picture of wartime Britain, his descriptions of being buffeted by great storm-tossed seas in the ‘cockleshell corvettes’, and the recounting of grim losses are all too real and authentic. His story ends as he leaves his ship after a violent cold developed into pneumonia, and soon afterwards he hears the heart-breaking news of her loss, along with the captain and half the crew, after being torpedoed. He is left to ponder on the many tombless dead consigned by the war to the Steep Atlantick Stream.

This is a small book but reflects the small world of these ships that the sailors had to live in. A story about a small corvette having to join forces with other likely crews to help face down the threat of U-boats in the Atlantic in WW2. This book is written by the crewman on board and conveys the ups and downs of being at sea during the lively times and the down times. This book was first published in 1946, but the book holds up well and I really enjoyed the camaraderie and humour within the book.