The Military Shelf

Forts and Roman Strategy
Paul Coby
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526772107, $52.95, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Forts-Roman-Strategy-Approach-Interpretation/dp/1526= 772108

Synopsis: With the publication of "Forts and Roman Strategy: A New Approach=
and Interpretation", author Paul Coby here proposes a new system for the r= ecording and mapping of Roman forts and fortifications that integrates all = the data, including size, dating and identification of occupying units. App= lication of these methods allows analysis that brings new insights into the=
placement of these forts, the units garrisoning them and the strategy of c= onquest and defense they underpinned.

"Forts and Roman Strategy: A New Approach and Interpretation" presents a ne=
w and original contribution to the long-running debate over whether the Rom=
an Empire had a coherent grand strategy or merely reacted piecemeal to emer= ging needs. Although Paul Coby focuses on several major campaigns in Britai=
n as case studies, he also stresses that his method's are also applicable t=
o elsewhere in the Empire.

Lavishly illustrated with color maps, "Forts and Roman Strategy: A New Appr= oach and Interpretation" is also supported by a website and blogs, encourag= ing further investigation and discussion.

Critique: Featuring five case studies drawn from Roman military campaigns i=
n Britain, "Forts and Roman Strategy: A New Approach and Interpretation" in= cludes an informative Foreword (M. C. Bishop), and Introduction (The Nature=
of the Roman Army in the First and Second Centuries AD), two Appendices (V= isiting the Sites of the Campaigns; Forts and Roman Strategy), a four page = Bibliography, and a thirteen page Index. A new and fascinating approach to = the study of Roman military history, "Forts and Roman Strategy: A New Appro= ach and Interpretation" will prove to be a unique and prized addition to pe= rsonal, community, and academic library collections and supplemental Roman = Military History curriculum reading lists. It should be noted that "Forts a=
nd Roman Strategy: A New Approach and Interpretation" is also available in =
a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Paul Coby believes that his experience in digital technolog=
y has enabled him to deploy data analysis and visualisation to the Roman Ar= my's campaign methods and to apply organizational theory to how the Roman m= ilitary machine thought. He has always been fascinated by the Roman Army an=
d how it succeeded in controlling an empire from the Highlands of Scotland =
to the deserts of Arabia. He continues to deploy up-to-date data analysis t= echniques to Roman forts and campaigns to generate new insights into the mi=
nd of the Roman military machine, now turning to the Roman Limes in Germany=
and Romania, as well as the Roman Army's response to Boudica's Revolt and = the dense network of forts in Northern England.

On the Eastern Front at Seventeen
Sergey Drobyazko, author
David Foreman, translator
Greenhill Books
https://www.greenhillbooks.com
9781784387419, $32.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Eastern-Front-Seventeen-Memoirs-1942-1944/dp/1784387= 41X

Synopsis: "On the Eastern Front at Seventeen: The Memoirs of a Red Army Sol= dier, 1942 - 1944" by Sergey Drobyazko is the true and autobiographical sto=
ry of a young Red Army soldier during the Second World War and told in his = own words.

Recruited into the army aged just seventeen, Sergei Drobyazko's introductio=
n to battle is a violent one: forced to retreat from his home city of Krasn= odar after it is set ablaze by German forces. Later, Drobyazko is captured =
by the Germans and placed in a concentration camp, where prisoners are redu= ced to eating scavenged rubbish and bathing battle wounds in urine.

After a daring escape from the camp, he enters Russian military service onc=
e more, rising to the rank of sergeant in an infantry regiment. During this=
time, he witnesses the execution of deserters and the routine ill-treatmen=
t of German prisoners of war by vengeful Soviet troops. After surviving an = attack that decimates his detachment, Drobyazko is almost court-martialled.=
Seriously wounded in 1944, he retrains as a radio operator, but he never r= eturns to the war front.

"On the Eastern Front at Seventeen: The Memoirs of a Red Army Soldier, 1942=
- 1944" is gripping memoir in which Drobyazko sets down his eye-witness ex= perience of the war as it unfolded around him. He claims to have consulted =
no historical sources and to have simply relied on his own memory, making t= his a deeply personal account. Translated into English for the first time b=
y David Foreman for an American/English readership, this unique account wil=
l be especially enjoyed by readers with an interest in World War II history=
from a Russian perspective.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and riveting read from first page to la= st, "On the Eastern Front at Seventeen: The Memoirs of a Red Army Soldier, = 1942 - 1944" is a unique and seminal contribution to the growing library of=
World War II memoirs. While also available to the personal reading lists o=
f dedicated military history buffs in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49=
), "On the Eastern Front at Seventeen: The Memoirs of a Red Army Soldier, 1= 942 - 1944" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended for community,=
college, and university library collections and supplemental curriculum st= udies lists.

Reading Hitler's Mind
Norman Ridley
Frontline Books
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781399086271, $34.95, HC, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Hitlers-Mind-Intelligence-Failure/dp/1399086= 278

Synopsis: Most strongly associated with Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain,=
it is often stated that Britain's policy of appeasement was instituted in = the 1930s in the hope of avoiding war with Hitler's Nazi Germany. At the ti= me, appeasement was viewed by many as a popular and seemingly pragmatic pol= icy.

With the publication of "Reading Hitler's Mind: The Intelligence Failure th=
at led to WW2", author Norman Ridley (an Open University Honours graduate a=
nd a writer on inter-war intelligence) sets out to show how appeasement was=
not merely a naive attempt to secure a lasting peace by resolving German g= rievances, but a means of buying time for rearmament. By the middle of the = 1930s, British policy was based on the presumption that the balance of powe=
r had already dramatically shifted in Germany's favor. It was felt that Bri= tain, chiefly for economic reasons, was unable to restore the balance, and = that extensive concessions to Germany would not satisfy Hitler, whose aggre= ssive policies intensified the already high risk of war.

The only realistic option, and one that was clearly adopted by Neville Cham= berlain, was to try to influence the timing of the inevitable military conf= rontation and, in the meantime, pursue a steady and economically sustainabl=
e program of rearmament. Appeasement would 'buy' that time for the British = government.

Crucially this strategy required continuously updated and accurate informat= ion about the strength, current and future, of the German armed forces, esp= ecially the Luftwaffe, and an understanding of their military strategy. Pie= rcing the Nazis' veil of secrecy was vital if the intelligence services wer=
e to build up a true picture of the extent of German rearmament and the pur= poses to which it might be put.

The many agents, codebreakers, and counter-espionage personnel played a vit=
al role in maximizing the benefits that appeasement provided -- even as war=
clouds continued to gather. These individuals were increasingly handed gre= ater responsibility in a bid to inform British statesmen now scrambling to = prepare for a catastrophic confrontation with Germany.

In "Reading Hitler's Mind", Ridley reveals the remarkable efforts made by t=
he tiny, underfunded and often side-lined British intelligence services as = they sought to inform those whose role it was to make decisions upon which = the wheels of history turned.

Critique: An inherently fascinating, informative, and iconoclastic study, "= Reading Hitler's Mind: The Intelligence Failure that led to WW2" is a thoug= htful and thought-provoking read. A unique and exceptionally well researche=
d study, "Reading Hitler's Mind: The Intelligence Failure that led to WW2" =
is a welcome and recommended addition to personal, professional, community,=
and academic library World War II history collections and supplemental cur= riculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and milit= ary history buffs that "Reading Hitler's Mind: The Intelligence Failure tha=
t led to WW2" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Luftwaffe Fighter Ace
Norbert Hannig, author
John Weal, editor and translator
Grubb Street
www.grubstreet.co.uk
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781911667223, $22.95, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Luftwaffe-Fighter-Ace-Eastern-Homeland/dp/191166722X

"Luftwaffe Fighter Ace: From the Eastern Front to the Defense of the Homela= nd" by Norbert Hanning (and edited/translated by John Weal) is the personal=
story of a Frontflieger, or operational pilot who flew in World War II as = one of the many rank and file German pilots fighting for their country and = not for the F hrer. But his wartime career makes for fascinating and highly=
informative reading on an aspect of the 1939-45 war not often covered in t=
he English language; primarily that of the campaign against the Soviet Unio=
n.

Norbert started flying during high school on gliders and joined the German = Air Force as volunteer and officer cadet, one of the midwar-generation of L= uftwaffe fighter pilots. He began operations with JG54 on the eastern (Leni= ngrad) front in March 1943; initially he flew Messerschmitt Bf 109s before = transitioning to the Focke-Wulf FW 190.

After a year's fighting, he was ordered back to Germany as a flight instruc= tor to oppose the bomber streams of the AAF and RAF. Returning to Russia at=
the end of 1944, he became a Staffel CO and claimed many aircraft shot dow=
n. In April 1945 he converted to the first jet fighter, the Me 262, in sout=
h Germany, and flew his last missions with this aircraft. Also serving with=
JV44 (whose CO was Adolf Galland), Norbert Hannig finished the war with 42=
victories from more than 200 missions. Many and varied were his experience=
s in action against the rejuvenated Soviet Air Force in the east, and the p= owerful western Allies over the homeland during the final chaotic months of=
hostilities, which culminated in his captivity.

John Weal's skillful translation ensures that the fluid descriptive style o=
f the author is preserved. Thankfully, also, Norbert was a keen photographe=
r who shot a profusion of images, all previously unpublished, many of which=
appear in this important book.

Critique: An invaluable and special contribution to the growing library of = World War II histories and memoirs, "Luftwaffe Fighter Ace: From the Easter=
n Front to the Defence of the Homeland" is a fascinating, informative, and = recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library collectio= ns. Two other additions from this simply outstanding and highly recommended=
World War II Luftwaffe military aviation series include "Luftwaffe Fighter=
Pilot: Defending The Reich Against The RAF And USAAF" (97819118667292, $22= ..95, PB) by Wolfgang Fiescher, and "Luftwaffe Eagle: A WWII German Airman's=
Story" (9781911667308, $22.95, PB).

The Cactus Air Force
Eric Hammel, author
Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, author
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472851079, $30.00, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cactus-Air-Force-over-Guadalcanal/dp/1472851072

Synopsis: For 40 years from 1961, the late Eric Hammel interviewed more tha=
n 150 American participants in the air campaign at Guadalcanal, none of who=
m are still alive. These interviews are the most comprehensive first-person=
accounts of the battle assembled by any historian. More importantly, they = involved the junior officers and enlisted men whose stories and memories we=
re not part of the official history, thus providing a unique insight.

The battle of Guadalcanal was the first offensive operation undertaken by t=
he US and its allies in the Pacific War. "Cactus," the code name for the is= land, became a sinkhole for Japanese air and naval power, experienced force=
s whose losses could never be made good. The three months of air battles be= tween August 20, 1942, when the first Marine air unit arrived on the island=
, and November 15, when the last enemy attempt to retake the island was def= eated, were perhaps the most important of the Pacific War. After November 1=
5, 1942, the US never looked back as its forces moved across the Pacific to=
the war's inevitable conclusion.

Publishing "The Cactus Air Force: Air War over Guadalcanal" is a joint proj= ect between the late Eric Hammel and Pacific War expert Thomas McKelvey Cle= aver, and is unlike any other of the many histories of this event that have=
been published over the years.

Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with maps, a section of black/w= hite historical photos, a two page Glossary, and a nine page Index, "The Ca= ctus Air Force: Air War over Guadalcanal" is an extraordinary an singularly=
invaluable series of American military eye-witness accounts of one of the = major battles in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. While also available = for the personal reading lists of dedicated military buffs in a digital boo=
k format (Kindle, $12.60), "The Cactus Air Force: Air War over Guadalcanal"=
is an enduringly important and unreservedly recommended addition to person= al, professional, community, college, and university library World War II c= ollections in general, and 20th Century American Military Aviation History = reading lists in particular.

Editorial Note #1: Eric Hammel (June 29, 1946 - August 25, 2020) was one of=
America's leading military historians with more than 40 well-received book=
s published over a 50-year career. His previous books on the Solomons campa= ign, Carrier Clash, Carrier Strike, Decision at Sea, and Starvation Island,=
are among the leading authoritative sources on the subject due to their ex= tensive use of first-person testimony.

Editorial Note #2: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver has been a published writer for = the past 45 years with his most recent work, Going Downtown (2022), being t=
he latest addition to his best-selling Osprey titles The Frozen Chosen (201= 6), Pacific Thunder (2017), Tidal Wave (2018), Holding the Line (2019), MiG=
Alley (2019), and I Will Run Wild (2020). During his 30 years as a screenw= riter in Hollywood, he wrote the cult classic The Terror Within and worked =
as a supervising producer on a number of TV and cable series. He served in = the US Navy in Vietnam.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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