Battleground: The Western Dunkirk Corridor 1940 Ledringhem, Wormhout, Bambecque & West Cappel

Battleground: The Western Dunkirk Corridor 1940 Ledringhem, Wormhout,

Bambecque & West Cappel written by Jerry Murland - £12.99 - Softcover -

Pages 112

The story of 144 Brigade’s defence of Wormhoudt and Bambecque must rank

in importance alongside the defence of Cassel and Hazebrouck by 145 Brigade.

Brigadier Norman’s composite brigade was the final piece in the jigsaw of defence

on the western flank of the Dunkerque Corridor; it held the line south of Bergues,

containing the attacking German units at great cost, until the perimeter at

Dunkerque had been established.

The defence of Wormhoudt has long been associated with the massacre of British servicemen after they had surrendered. The events in the barn at La Plaine au Bois will always be considered one of the most appalling acts of the Second World War, carried out by elements of the Liebstandarte Regiment; almost second nature to these fanatical followers of Adolf Hitler. They found no easy victory at Wormhoudt, in an encounter that saw their regimental commander, Gruppenführer Otto ‘Sepp’ Dietrich, taking shelter in a ditch away from the fury of the Cheshire machine gunners. Overshadowed by the events in the barn are the murders of civilians and British soldiers that took place as the Germans overwhelmed the fragile defence of the Warwicks. Their Medical Officer, marching into captivity, went past the bodies of men of A Company who he was sure had been murdered. An officer of the Worcesters wrote in his diary that all the wounded of his Company were shot by a commander of the Liebstandarte.

There is little other evidence to support the deaths of these men but there is little doubt that many British soldiers met a violent end after they had surrendered in the fields and on the pavements of Wormhoudt and Bambecque.

These Battleground books, in my opinion, are fantastic and vastly underrated books that both cover history of the event, the people involved and enables the reader to take part in what is experienced within the book. This particular book looks at the 144 Brigade and their spectacular defence of the Dunkirk Corridor against the Germans. The book gets across the events that happened, through text, pictures, diagrams and photographs, the book also picks out a number of individuals that have stood out from the norm and we get to hear about their history. Then finally the book acts as a tour guide by publishing the area as an area to go to, where to stay, eat and visit. Giving you a handy guide to if you wanted to, do your own visit. An excellent book, especially for those that like to take part in that hands-on experience.

Waffen-SS Dutch, Belgium, and Danish Volunteers

Waffen-SS Dutch, Belgium and Danish Volunteers written by Ian Baxter

and published by Pen & Sword Books - £14.99 - Softcover - Pages 154

Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union, numerous Dutchmen, Belgians

and Danes volunteered for the Waffen-SS. The largest division, SS Volunteer Legion

Netherlands operated in Yugoslavia and then Northern Russia. It was later

re-designated 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland.

Fighting alongside the Nederland formation was the SS Volunteer Legion Flanders, manned mainly with Dutch speaking recruits from occupied Belgium. After being disbanded it was later reformed as the SS Assault Brigade Langemarck (SS-Sturmbrigade Langemarck).

The SS Volunteer Legion Walloon, recruited from French-speaking volunteers from German occupied Belgium, was sent to Russia and later integrated with the SS Assault Brigade Wallonia (SS-Sturmbrigade Wallonien).

Finally some 6,000 Danes served in Free Corps Denmark which went to the Eastern Front in May 1942. Within a year the formation was disbanded into Division Nordland, known as Regiment 24 Danemark

Drawing on a superb collection of rare and often unpublished photographs, this fine Images of War book describes the fighting history of each formation, notably the 1944 battle of Narva, which was known as the battle of the European SS. As its forces were pushed further back across a scarred and burning wasteland it describes how these Dutch, Belgian and Danish units became cut off in the Kurland Pocket until some were evacuated by sea. The remainder were killed or captured in front of Berlin in April 1945.

This particular book was rather interesting, mainly in my opinion you don’t get to hear much about volunteers working with the Germans. This book was of particular focus on those volunteers from Holland, Belgium and Denmark. These kinds of troops would help support the Germans in Yugoslavia and Northern Russia before a number were then sent on to the Eastern front. These soldiers were then given indoctrination to hate their enemy and see the Germans as the superior race, so it was still interesting to see they were still willing to accept help from other countries' men, but there was still the determination that the Germans were the top dogs. An interesting read indeed and I must say the supportive text in this series is always first-class.

Educating the Tudors

Educating the Tudors written by Amy McElroy and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 216

Education during the Tudor era was a privilege and took many forms including

schools, colleges and apprenticeships. Those responsible for delivering education

came from a variety of backgrounds from the humble parish priest to the most

famed poet-laureates of the day. Curriculums varied according to wealth, gender

and geography. The wealthy could afford the very best of tutors and could study

as much or as little as they chose whilst the poorer members of society could only

grasp at opportunities in the hopes of providing themselves with a better future.

The Tudors were educated during a time when the Renaissance was sweeping across Europe and Henry VIII became known as a Renaissance Prince but what did his education consist of? Who were his tutors? How did his education differ to that of his elder brother, Prince Arthur and how did Henry’s education change upon the death of his brother? There is no doubt Henry was provided with an excellent education, particularly in comparison to his sisters, Margaret and Mary. Henry’s own education would go on to influence his decisions of tutors for his own children. Who had the privilege of teaching Henry’s children and did they dare to use corporal punishment?

Educating the Tudors seeks to answer all of these questions, delving into the education of all classes, the subjects they studied, educational establishment and those who taught them.

Educating the Tudors is a thorough look into the educational world of the Tudors, looking at the subjects that were taught, types of schooling, lessons and even those teaching various subjects. Amy McElroy writes a very comprehensive and detailed book that even looks at the education of the royal family at the time. McElroy writes such a good book it would be good to see what she writes next and whether it will be about education from another age. In a way, it was very interesting to see the different types of education and how the teaching of the poor and rich was very different. A really interesting and thorough book that would really appeal to those in the educational world.

Pandemic Obsession - How They Feature in our Popular Culture

Pandemic Obsession - How They Feature in our Popular Culture written by Stephen Basdeo and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 224

“Pestilence entered … The ordinary pursuits of society were paralysed; all previously-formed plans of happiness, business, trade, occupation, and domestic arrangement, were checked as cruelly and abruptly as if every principle of the human mind were in a moment subverted … The physicians saw that human aid was vain, and that destruction inevitably awaited all who approached the infected. Terrific mortality! Appalling scourge of the human race!” — George W.M. Reynolds

Throughout history humankind has faced a number of deadly pandemics and such diseases have left their mark in history books, fine art, novels, life writing, and newspapers. This book collects together writings from across the centuries which illuminate people’s experiences with plagues and pandemics. From Ancient Greece there is Thucydides on the Athenian Plague; Procopius gives his account of Plague of Justinian; also included is many more extracts of writings on plagues from medieval and early modern writers. Readers can enjoy several works of fiction including an abridged version of Mary Shelley’s The Last Man (1826), a reproduction in full of Jack London’s Scarlet Plague (1912), as well as short pandemic stories from Edgar Allan Poe, George W.M. Reynolds, Daniel Defoe, and William Harrison Ainsworth.

This book Pandemic Obsession looks at various pandemics throughout time from the Bubonic plague right up to Scarlet plague in 1912. The book looks at excerpts and passages written by famous authors of the time or from various news media of the time. It was interesting to see how a pandemic was seen and talked about around the time of each plague and help correspond with the most recent pandemic. I loved the front cover as it really stands out from the crowd. A quite interesting book certainly one to make you think and consider.

The Waffen-SS Ardennes Offensive

The Waffen-SS Ardennes Offensive written by Ian Baxter and published by Pen &Sword Books - £14.99 - Softcover - Pages 128

In late 1944 under extreme pressure on both the Eastern and Western fronts, Hitler

realized he needed to force the Allies into negotiating a truce thereby saving Germany

from total defeat. Using the Christmas period to enhance the vital element of surprise,

he ordered a devastating attack through the rugged and mountainous Ardenne region

with the key Allied port of Antwerp as the objective.

This book, with its extensive text and rare and unpublished photographs with detailed captions, tells the story of the Waffen-SS offensive, known as Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine). These formidable SS armoured units with supporting Wehrmacht divisions initially achieved dramatic success making full use of the harsh winter conditions and terrain. Gradually the Allies regained the upper hand on the attackers who were increasingly suffering from lack of reinforcements and resupplies. After defeat at the pivotal battle of Bastonge, remaining Waffen-SS units withdrew and were transferred back to the Eastern Front. As described in this classic Images of War book, the Fuhrer’s gamble so nearly paid off and the ruthless fighting spirit of the elite Waffen-SS divisions caused the Allied command serious concern.

Another fascinating and informative book from the Images of War series of books. As the war was heading towards a conclusion at last, this was one of Hitler’s last rolls of the dice in which his Waffen-SS would go out and support troops and divisions in the Ardennes area and in a way this would become helpful but it wasn’t long before the allies were able to take the upper hand in control. The main problem for Germany was that they were running short on manpower and munitions leading to a number of key successes like Bastonge. This is all told through the series of rare photographs and supportive text, the ways these photos are taken are always excellent along with the quality of the pictures too. Which does make the Images of War series excellent and certainly one I would happily recommend to anyone.

The Pirate Who Stole Scotland - William Dampier

The Pirate Who Stole Scotland - William Dampier written by Leon Hopkins and published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 228

Economic warfare is not a new phenomenon. In the protectionist climate of the

seventeenth century, trade embargoes, exclusions and boycotts were common.

England was among the most active nations when it came to using economic clout to get its own way. It did so to force Scotland to accept an Act of Union: to submerge its independence within a United Kingdom governed from London.

Instrumental in this attack upon the Scots was William Dampier, the principal subject of this book. He was an extraordinary man. A farmer’s son, he became the most travelled man of his generation. He was a pirate, a brute and a devious sociopath. But he was also a scientist and a talented writer who gave his readers accurate descriptions of previously unknown places, peoples, plants and animals. He was a daring explorer and an expert navigator who mapped coastlines and logged wind patterns and ocean currents. He led the first Royal Navy expedition to Australia, over 70 years before Captain Cook’s arrival.

Dampier’s writing made him famous, but not rich. It allowed him to rub shoulders with the leading men of his day; scientists such as Robert Hooke, Edmund Halley and Hans Sloane, businessmen such as Sir John Houblon (first governor of the Bank of England) and William Paterson, politicians such as James Vernon and Charles Montagu (first Earl of Halifax), and Admiralty men such as Admiral Sir George Rooke and Samuel Pepys.

And Dampier was in the pay of the English Government; an agent known to Queen Anne, in which capacity he engineered a financial disaster and political drubbing for Scotland.

William Dampier was a name I had heard of before, but had never really paid much attention to, but what a character, a man who seemed to have met everyone and done everything. Pirate, Financier, Scientist, Writer and much more. The book reveals his need to prosper, someone who was always trying to find that new thing or success that would improve his standing in society. My thought from reading this book was that he may not get the recognition he might deserve purely because many would see him as anti-Scotland, as so much money was put into various schemes that more or less forced Scotland into being a part of the Union. The writer has done a really good job in gaining what information he could find, and has helped write a clear book that has been made easier to read and understand. A really interesting book about a figure in history that should get more attention than he has.

The Paras in Afghanistan

The Paras in Afghanistan written by Craig Allen and published by Key Publishing - £15.99 - Softcover - Pages 128

In 2021, the British Army’s 20-year engagement in Afghanistan ended with chaotic

scenes at Kabul International Airport. The Parachute Regiment had been involved

since the earliest days of conflict and was there at the end to provide security for

the final evacuation. The years of conflict saw the Paras endure some of the toughest

operational conditions since World War Two as they confronted Taliban fighters

in their Helmand stronghold. In 2008, 2 and 3 Paras were deployed to Afghanistan,

fighting the Taliban in areas such as Kandahar and Musa Qala. That summer, they

fought the insurgents in the fields and ditches of the Green Zone, always taking the

fight to the enemy.

Written by a former Para and battlefield photographer, this book takes the reader on a visual journey from training for this deployment in Scotland to the desert heat of Afghanistan, showing the soldiers, their equipment, weapons and vehicles. With over 200 colour photographs, it provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Paras both in battle and going about their day-to-day lives at the bases.

The Paras in Afghanistan is written by Craig Allen, a former Para and battlefield photographer who follows 2 3 & 4 Para first through training and then through travel and deployment to Afghanistan. In my opinion, this is an excellent book that has the insight of a former para who would be in the know, so you get the right photographs at the important time, as he covers training, work, play and death. The photographs are supported by interesting text/history relevant to the work and experience. In recent decades we have followed battles and wars from the comfort of our armchairs, this book helps fill in the gaps missed by news reports and programmes, it brings an extra level to what we already know. An excellent little book that brings you the reader the detail through pictures and text you would want. I would happily recommend this book to anyone interested in the Afghanistan campaign.