The First Atomic Bomb - An Alternate History of the Ending of WW2

The First Atomic Bomb - An Alternate History of the Ending of WW2 written

by Jim Mangi and published by Frontline Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 248

While German and Japanese scientists also laboured unsuccessfully to create

an atomic bomb, by the summer of 1945, the American-led team was ready to

test its first weapon. As the clock ticked down to the detonation time of 05.30 hours

on 16 July 1945, the nervous team of technicians and scientists waited ten miles

away from ‘Ground Zero’ deep in the New Mexico desert. No one knew how

powerful the explosion would be or whether even at such a distance they would

be safe from the blast. Even so, some chose to observe the detonation from a

point four miles nearer at the control bunker; but then no one was even sure

that the bomb would work.

What if that is actually what happened? Under schedule pressure from the White House, the scientists assembled the device in part with tape and tissue paper, knowing some components were flawed. These are verifiable facts. It means that, as many of those who gathered in the New Mexico desert feared at the time, the bomb might not have worked during that first test.

In The First Atomic Bomb, Jim Mangi explores what might happened in the event that the world’s first atomic bomb had not been ready for use when it was. How would this have affected the end of the war in the Pacific, and indeed the Second World War as a whole?

Would Emperor Hirohito’s armed forces have battled on? When might Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, at the controls of his Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay have then made his historic flight over Hiroshima – and would that city even have remained the target? How would Stalin and the Soviets have reacted to such developments, and how would this have played out in the post-war world?

These books can either be good or bad, I suppose it depends upon how well the book is written and researched. The book takes the point of the atomic bomb not being dropped and how the war could have gone on or finished. Now I found this book to be good in that the alternate possibilities were plausible and could have happened It was a good book and had some interesting possible scenarios throughout. But at the end of the day, it’s just going to be a collection of what if’s or maybe’s.

Rearming the RAF for the Second World War

Rearming the RAF for the Second World War written by Adrian Phillips and

published by Pen & Sword Books - £25.00 - Hardback - Pages 368

When the RAF rearmed to meet the growing threat from Nazi Germany's remorseless expansion

in the late 1930s, it faced immense challenges. It had to manage a huge increase in size as well

as mastering rapid advances in aviation technology. To protect Britain from attack, the RAF's

commanders had to choose the right strategy and the right balance in its forces. The choices

had to be made in peacetime with no guidance from combat experience. These visions then

had to be translated into practical reality. A shifting cast of government ministers, civil servants

and industrialists with their own financial, political and military agendas brought further dynamics

into play. The RAF's readiness for war was crucial to Britain's ability to respond to Nazi

aggression before war broke out and when it did, the RAF's rearmament was put to the acid

test of battle. Adrian Phillips uses the penetrating grasp of how top level decisions are made

that he honed in his inside accounts of the abdication crisis and appeasement, to dissect

the process which shaped the RAF of 1940. He looks beyond the familiar legends of the

Battle of Britain and explores in depth the successes and failures of a vital element in British

preparations for war.

I have to say what a fascinating book and the subject I find is so interesting. Primarily this is a book that looks at the competition and infighting in and amongst the RAF, but not only that, but also the unnecessary fighting with the other arms of the armed forces and other organisations. Quite a bit of the book revolves around what the RAF stood for or what it wanted to concentrate on, for example, it was torn between infighting over whether to concentrate on prioritising small fighter aircraft of big heavy bombers. Basically, it’s like having a kitchen and someone has employed a lot of chefs and they all have to try and work together with the right menu. 

A very good book and quite thought-provoking and sometimes I was left thinking how on earth did the RAF succeed, but I really enjoyed reading it because there was lots of research and because it made me think. Plus I’m not sure the average joe in the street realises this was how the armed forces were run, we never hear about this in the mainstream media. A blinking good read by author Adrian Phillips, one I most certainly recommend.

The Medieval Crossbow

The Medieval Crossbow written by Dr Stuart Ellis-Gorman and published

by Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 240

The crossbow is an iconic weapon of the Middle Ages and, alongside the longbow, one of the most

effective ranged weapons of the pre-gunpowder era. Unfortunately, despite its general fame it has

been decades since an in-depth history of the medieval crossbow has been published, which is

why Stuart Ellis-Gorman’s detailed, accessible, and highly illustrated study is so valuable.

The Medieval Crossbow approaches the history of the crossbow from two directions. The first is a technical study of the design and construction of the medieval crossbow, the many different kinds of crossbows used during the Middle Ages, and finally a consideration of the relationship between crossbows and art.

The second half of the book explores the history of the crossbow, from its origins in ancient China to its decline in sixteenth-century Europe. Along the way it explores the challenges in deciphering the crossbow’s early medieval history as well as its prominence in warfare and sport shooting in the High and Later Middle Ages.

This fascinating book brings together the work of a wide range of accomplished crossbow scholars and incorporates the author’s own original research to create an account of the medieval crossbow that will appeal to anyone looking to gain an insight into one of the most important weapons of the Middle Ages.

As a former Archery Coach, I was looking forward to reading this book, although the crossbow has a poorer reputation in the archery world. That is because people like to create an allure around items like the Longbow and how that is steeped in history, but the crossbow is actually one of the deadliest and most accurate weapons before the rifle. The crossbow used to have such power and accuracy, it meant the individual soldiers had very little chance of survival against them as it would pierce their armour so easily.

Although they could be more easily hidden and could be used by less skilled marksmen, their major problem was that they were so hard to load physically and often had to be used by two men. This was an excellent book which showed that the author had gone through a good bit of research, telling the tale, history, use and tactics that revolved around the crossbow. The first half of the book concentrates on the technicals and the second half concentrates on the history and the battles were influential in. A really good book, definitely one for the historical weapons buffs.

Great Naval Battles of the Pacific War

Great Naval Battles of the Pacific War compiled by John Grehan and published

by Frontline Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 296

The key naval battles against Imperial Japan in the Pacific during the Second World War have

been described many times by numerous diligent and skilful historians. Such histories

are, of course, the products of many years, even decades, of accumulated knowledge,

but also of a received consensus of how the war played out to its, seemingly, inevitable

conclusion. That of course is not how it was perceived at the time. Hindsight, as we know,

gives us 20/20 vision. The accounts here, compiled for and on behalf of the Admiralty,

were written either during or immediately after the end of the war before historians had

begun to give their assessments of these momentous events.

These accounts were written for internal consumption, to guide and instruct naval officers. It was never intended that they would be released to the general public. As such, there was no jingoistic drum beating, no axes to grind, no new angles to try and find. The authors of these accounts relate each battle, move by move, as they unfolded, accurately and dispassionately.

This makes these accounts so invaluable. They read almost like a running commentary, as action follows action, minute follows minute. This sensation is magnified by the absolute impartiality of the authors, their sole attempt being to provide a thorough but very clear and comprehensible record so that others in the future could understand precisely how each battle was fought.

These accounts can never be superseded and never replaced. Written by naval officers of the time for naval officers of the future, they are the permanent record of the great victories, and the sobering defeat in the Java Sea, during the struggle for control of the Pacific which, for many months, hung precariously in the balance.

This book is a very formal book really to read, mainly because it wasn’t aimed at the general public consumption, they were written by naval officials for naval officials. The book covers official reports on the Midway, Coral Sea, Java Sea, Guadal Canal and the Leyte Gulf the key battles in the naval war of the Far East. Although the reports throughout the book are official ones, they are really good, detailed and comprehensive as you would expect. Some of them are a little dry, but then that is what you would expect. This has been a really good book to read and I have enjoyed the formal approach to normal as a change.

Durer’s Fight Book

Durer’s Fight Book written by Dierk Hagedorn & Daniel Jaquet and published

by Greenhill Books - £30 - Hardback - Pages 320

Albrecht Dürer is probably the most famous German artist of the Renaissance, if not of all time.

His works are world-famous and he was a master in numerous artistic disciplines such as

woodcut, copperplate engraving, drawing and painting.

What is less well known is that he was interested in weapons and fencing throughout his life. He produced several woodcuts for a tournament book by Emperor Maximilian I, but he devoted himself much more thoroughly to the subject of duels in his own extensive fencing manuscript.

Dürer’s fight book stands out from the mass of illustrated fencing manuscripts because of its outstanding quality. In well over 100 elaborate drawings, the master uniquely depicts dynamic pairs of fighters practising contemporary combat techniques, such as wrestling or sword and dagger fighting.

Since its creation more than 500 years ago, the fight book has never been published in its entirety. This edition offers the complete contents of the manuscript for the very first time: All illustrations are reproduced in colour and the complete text is presented in a letter-perfect transcription as well as a translation into modern English.

Albrecht Dürer's fight book offers a unique, new look at Dürer the artist and Dürer the fighter.

An interesting book indeed, especially if you are interested in the art of fighting or hand-to-hand combat. This book looks at the work of Albrecht Durer, a German artist who was obviously interested in the art of combat including fighting on horseback, wrestling and fencing. The book contains a copy of the original manuscript along with the English transcription along with a large collection of artistic drawings, which actually explain some of the writing very well. The attached ribbon bookmarks were excellent in that you could easily compare the drawings with the written definitions. All in all an interesting read and ideal for anyone interesting in hand-to-hand combat. Right, I’m off now to put my sons in their place in the garden with some German hand-to-hand combat.

Edward I and Wales 1254-1307

Edward I and Wales 1254-1307 written by David Pilling and published by

Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 256

The late 13th century witnessed the conquest of Wales after two hundred years of conflict

between Welsh princes and the English crown. In 1282 Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the only

native Prince of Wales to be formally acknowledged by a King of England, was slain by

English forces. His brother Dafydd continued the fight, but was eventually captured and

executed. Further revolts followed under Rhys ap Maredudd, a former crown ally, and

Madog ap Llywelyn, a kinsman of the defeated lords of Gwynedd.

The Welsh wars were a massive undertaking for the crown and required the mobilisation

of all resources. Edward’s willingness to direct the combined power of the English state

and church against the Prince of Wales, to an unprecedented degree, resulted in a victory

that had eluded all of his predecessors.

This latest study of the Welsh wars of Edward I will draw upon previously untranslated

archive material, allowing a fresh insight into military and political events. Edward’s personal

relationship with Welsh leaders is also reconsidered. Traditionally, the conquest is dated to

the fall of Llywelyn in December 1282, but this book will argue that Edward was not truly

the master of Wales until 1294. In the years between those two dates he broke the power

of the great Marcher lords and crushed two further large-scale revolts against crown authority.

After 1294 he was able to exploit Welsh manpower on a massive scale. His successors

followed the same policy during the Scottish wars and the Hundred Years War. Edward

enjoyed considerable support among the ‘uchelwyr’ or Welsh gentry class, many of whom

served him as diplomats and spies as well as military captains. This aspect of the king’s

complex relationship with the Welsh will also feature.

This book looks at Edward I and his suppression of the Welsh kingdom in the 13th Century,

not only was he able to crush the will of the Welsh people, he was also able to control the

Welsh lords & leaders. One of the problems with Welsh history is that it can be underplayed

and less understood, which is why there is still animosity between the two still today. But this

book has been written very well in that it’s not stuffy and dry, but actually informative and easy

to read. Having read a couple of other books written by the same author David Pilling, he

seems to be able to sort out the complication and turn it into an easy-to-read passage, which

can help greatly on a subject like this when you have Welsh names and placenames

interspersed throughout. A good read and one I think many interested in this subject would

enjoy.

Outlander and the Real Jacobites

Outlander and the Real Jacobites written by Shona Kinsella and published by

Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 224

Outlander has brought the story of the 1745 Jacobite uprising to the popular imagination, but

who were the Jacobites, really? Explore this pivotal moment in Scottish history, visiting some

of the key locations from Jamie and Claire’s travels. Discover what clan life was really like,

read about medicine in the 1700s and find out whether the red coats were really as bad as

Jack Randall. Meet Bonnie Prince Charlie and explore how he managed to inspire an uprising

from France and then storm England with a force of no more than 5,000 soldiers. Witness

the battle of Culloden and what really happened there, before exploring the aftermath of this

final attempt for a Stuart restoration.

This book looks at the rise of the Jacobite nation in the mid-1700s, looking at various aspects of life for the Jacobites during this time and the uprising against the English, which was played in a number of films/programmes such as Outlander. You often find with films/programmes based on history can often be romanticised but having read a number of books on the Jacobite rebellion this book does a good job in documenting events and being quite accurate historically. I must admit that I have not watched the Outlander series, so I can’t comment on any comparisons. A series usually has to be very well received if it’s a history-based series for me to watch it, but from this book, I found it very informative, detailed and well written so maybe I should try and watch the series. A good honest read and I would say it would go down well with television fans of the series.