michael s

An Intro The British Army

Revisado: 09-14-24

This a short but excellent review of British Army history. This should be the starting point for further examination.

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The first months of the war were frightening.

Revisado: 10-07-22

This is a note to Audible. When books are titled, would it be possible to list it as 1of3, 2of3 and 3of3? I listened to the second book a year ago. Then, I listened to the first few chapters of the 3rd book, before I realized these books were a multi-volume set,

The first book really kept my attention. Thankfully, I know how the war ended, but the first few months were up for grabs.
It didn't seem like the Japanese could lose. The IJA and IJN practiced for several years on China, Manchuria and Korea, it's no wonder they succumbed to victory disease. The combined forces of the American, British, Dutch and Australian (ABDA) forces were more of a challenge, but not much more. Japan may have thought they could conquer Australia, but, I doubt it. Had they taken the Philippines, Indonesia and New Guinea, they might have been able hold all of that.

The 2nd book of this series is excellent. One of the best on Audible. I'm still on the 3rd book. So far, it's OK.

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Going to England? This is a must read.

Revisado: 12-07-21

If you are a fan of English history and wanted to visit, you need this book. Professor Allitt, a native Brit, knows how tell the story of England, Scotland and Wales.

Your first book should be Professor Allitt's book on the Industrial Revolution. You don't want to be the bloke asking about the canals and all.

Professor Allitt usually has a few chapters, in his books, on art. Music, sculpture, architecture, fine arts and such. It is good that he includes this, but, I'm not too "artsy". I am addressing mostly Americans on this topic. Until several years ago I never noticed how much English history is written into their pop and rock music. American music covers American history, mostly in folk and country genres, rarely in top 40 or rock and roll.

The first example is from The Rolling Stones, "Sympathy For The Devil".
"I rode a tank, Held a general's rank, When the blitzkrieg raged, And the bodies stank."

Another, from Led Zeppelin, "The Immigrant Song", about Vikings raiding Britain. I've been listening to LZ since there was an LZ. I did not realize what the song was about until I saw the video, "Viking Kittens". LZ and Rathergood.com/ seemed to patched things up. I can think of several more, but not for now.
https://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/vikingkittens

I bring this up, because Professor Allitt didn't. He might not have considered this only because, "Yeah, the Vikings came Britain and made a mess of things."

Yeah. Anyway, don't tour Britain before the listen to these books. You will miss a lot.

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Too much to absorb with only one listen.

Revisado: 08-16-21

I can't think of anything more I need to know about the Solomon's campaign. This gave as complete a picture from the Japanese and Americans view point, that an American historian could have given. One example, many Japanese pilots were named even if they only flew one mission.

It is hard for me quantify the IJN officer corps. They were more than competent, but they did not change their tactics to deal with the Americans. Strategies that worked well against China and smaller Asian countries were totally unsuited to fight the Americans. The IJN frequently sub divided their units. They covered a large area, but were not effective against larger US and Allied forces.

The American senior leaders were veterans of The Great War and Banana wars. As they came into the war, they were strong, single minded and unrelenting. Anyone that questioned the need for absolute victory, and few did, failed understand what was at stake. This creed was personified by Admiral William Halsey, Commander of the South Pacific Force, "Kill Japs, kill Japs, kill more Japs." The US and it's allies understood, there was no Second Place.

There are more than few excellent works on the Pacific Theater, may I suggest, "Enterprise: America’s Fightingest Ship and the Men Who Helped Win World War II By: Barrett Tillman". Also, "Clear the Bridge!: The War Patrols of the U.S.S. Tang
By: RAdm. Richard H. O'Kane USN Narrated by: Sean Runnette"

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He ate, drank and wenched himself to death.

Revisado: 11-18-20

Don't let the book cover or the title fool you. It's more than a Cliff's Notes version of English history, but not overly granular.
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Like many Americans, my knowledge of British/English/United Kingdom history was limited to 3 sentences prior to 1650 AD. Following 1700, we fought 2 wars against England. 100 years later, we allied with them to save Europe, twice. At the end of World War Two, the world watched England downsize.
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So, what did I learn? The Romans brought their civilizing ways to Britain. Roads, baths, architecture and civilian government. They were unable to tame the Scots, so they built and manned a wall, to keep the Scots out. They went to Ireland, but, found the Irish, Celts, to be as wild as the Scots and let the sea serve as a natural barrier.
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(This is not covered in this book. The fall of Rome allowed the Norse people to move Southwest, into the British Isles, West to Iceland and Greenland and South, into central and southern Europe. The Norsemen generally were in Britain after the fall of Rome.)
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So, what did I learn? The British archipelago was frequently visited by the Scandinavians. The Scandinavians had on and off settlements and used it as a way station to Iceland and Greenland. Why is this important? If it weren't for the Norsemen, Led Zeppelin would not have written the "Immigrant Song". On their third album, Led Zeppelin III, they wrote a song about early Norse visitors to Britain. I've listened to LZ since they started selling albums. I never made the connection, until Joel Veitch put out a video, featuring the Viking Kittens, singing the "Immigrant Song". It all turned into a copyright brouhaha, which is too bad. I think the people in LZ and Mr. Veitch could have worked together and made this work.
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What else did I learn? Why the English and French were at war, on and off for 700 years. I came to the conclusion it was a bad marriage, culminating in a seven centuries divorce. As it turns out, Northern France, Normandy, was ceded to the Vikings, in an effort to keep them out of the rest of France. As the Vikings traveled between England and France, they mixed and mated with the locals, such that, the ruling families were typically cousins. A familial dynastic that continued into the 20th Century.
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There is a brief rundown of the Royal Family and it's progenitors. About half are good, the other half, not so much. I would think the English do not find it easy to keep them all straight, so, if you can't, don't worry. There is a description of the class system. Most historians would say England began to lag behind the world, after their rocketing head start at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, by resting on their laurels. The wealthy industrialists sent their sons to the best schools. However, there is little evidence the best schools made them the best prepared. They finished school, having mastered a distinguishing characteristic, the presence of ''effortless superiority.''
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Overall, I think this would be on the shortlist of sources to begin learning about English history. The author explains the differences between England, Britain and the United Kingdom. There is a brief discussion on the English currency. The English measure of weight, when not in kilograms, can be measured in "stone". 14 pounds is 1 Stone. I've only seen this when movie stars gain or lose a lot of weight. "She's lost 15 stone. She looks fantastic."

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The dots are connected.

Revisado: 11-06-20

I enjoy learning about English history. Like most Yanks, going back further than 1700 in Britain's history, the details start getting muddled. One area of clarification, why England and France were such long time foes. A descendant of Scandinavian heritage, was raised in France and when England needed a legitimate heir to the throne, William came(pushed or pulled) forward. William's close ties and extended stays in France, kept his feet in both countries. Every English monarch who followed William, including Queen Elizabeth II, is considered a descendant of the Norman-born king. Maybe.

Following English lineage is not for the faint of heart. 25% present day Britain's may be his descendents. He did have 10 children, before his wife died. Following William, the royal path, really is a long and winding road. Emphasis on winding.

Think of it this way. If your grandparents, on both sides, each had 8 siblings and each marriage had 4 to 12 children, you can see how keeping everyone straight would be a chore.

Now, mix in the animosity of Catholic and Protestants. Then, have the Protestants split amongst themselves. This book covers the years before and after 1066 and it's an enjoyable read.

If this book is too light for you, try Winston Churchill's 4 volume set of "A History of the English Speaking Peoples".

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If Walter Mitty were English, he drank a lot.

Revisado: 09-26-20

As a Yank, I had a passing knowledge of Sir Winston Churchill. Last year, I listened to "Hero of the Empire:", on Audible. WOW. Next, I listened to "The Great Anglo-Boer War", twice, because the Boer War just seemed so interesting. I got this book many months ago and it may have been a "2 for 1", I don't remember, but, I'm glad I did. As an American, he really is a Walter Mitty type character. He is descended from one of the original English dynasties, his father was was at the top of the British government and his mother was an American. Sir Winston proceeds to be a Huck Finn/Walter Mitty/Audie Murphy hero.

I understand how the English electorate did not appreciate Sir Winston, all of the time. I suspect he was even reviled by the ANZACs, understandably so. I did not know about his children. I expect he was larger than life to them. I knew he was Minister of The Admiralty, but, I did not know he was an Army officer, at the front, for the last year of the war. The professional British Army is exceptionally fluid in their requirements, if need be.

I knew he painted, but not as well as he did. I knew he wrote about English history, I did not know he was so prolific. I got through the first volume of his 4 volume set(The Birth of Britain: A History of the English Speaking Peoples, Volume I), on Audible. If you are not acquainted with the first 200 or 300 years of English royalty, this will be tough.

If you have a hard time with alcohol, you may have some questions. For example, when does one start drinking and when does one stop? The answer, when you wake up, go to sleep or exhaust your supply. Also, if your are captured by enemy forces. Suffice to say, Sir Winston does not appear to take sobriety to the extreme. In "Hero Of The Empire", Sir Winston is not the only man going to South Africa with luggage laden with wine and whiskey. A years supply of alcohol was as much required as good socks.

Overall I enjoyed the listen. But, be advised, there is one thing you should consider, the author and narrator, Dr. Fears. He is lively, never monotone and he will keep your attention. And he sounds a lot like Jerry Seinfeld.

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How many people live a lifetime, in one day?

Revisado: 07-05-20

I am half way through the book. It is addictive, and will take longer than 25 hours to listen to it. I don't recommend you binge this. There are some strong similarities to the movie "Saving Private Ryan". There are several references to "Band of Brothers".

Ike - smoked 4 packs of cigarettes a day. 80 cigs, in 18 hours. About 13 per hour. "Planning is everything until the battle is joined. Then, it's not."

They worked on this plan for 2 years. They did not have computers. And, there is an excellent explanation why the allied strategy worked and why the German plan(s) did not.

Although this is not a "Great Courses "book, it could be. And, a short PDF book with maps and a timeline would would make this exceptional, to the point of not needing any other source. It is a bit tough, trying to sort out the locations from memory.

When I finish, in a week, I'll add to this review. I will probably continue recommending this book in the strongest possible terms.

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Ch 22 was written 5 years before 2020.

Revisado: 06-29-20

1st three pages of 22 will explain BLM and the summer of 2020. Also, why the Police did not take a firm stand, they should have.

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You have to go over the Mighty Mac to understand..

Revisado: 11-07-19

I crossed the Mighty Mac, once, in 1969. I was 12. I don't remember being especially stressed, but, I would be today.
This is the one story that had me physically stressed. I've been at sea. Maybe 100 feet above the water. ALL of my safety equipment was in use. I only went up when it was calm and it was still harrowing.

So, when Rowe said he was moving along, sans attachment, that's when it got puckery for me. What I did not know, nor had ever considered learning, had anyone died on this bridge? At least one woman, died in an accident while traveling across the bridge. Leslie Ann Pluhar.

I assume Rowe got permission from the Pluhar family to tell the story of Leslie Ann Pluhar. He just sounds considerate, in that way. But, if Rowe were to take some literary licence, he could write in a substitute. The location, of course would be different. As would the circumstances leading up to the event. The names of the people would be fictionalized. But, in the end, a woman would die, in a Yugo, in a river. She drowned. Her name was Mona.

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