The Military Shelf

Flawed Commanders and Strategy in the Battles for Italy, 1943-45
Andrew Sangster, author
Pier Paolo Battistelli, author
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636243122, $37.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Flawed-Commanders-Strategy-Battles-1943-45/dp/163624= 3126

Synopsis: Wars never run according to plan, perhaps never more so than duri=
ng the World War II Italian campaign of 1943-45, where necessary coordinati=
on between the different armies added additional complexity to Allied plans=
.. Errors in the strategies, tactics, the coalition tensions, and operations=
at campaign command level can clearly be seen in firsthand accounts of the=
period.

With the publication of "Flawed Commanders and Strategy in the Battles for = Italy, 1943-45", co-authors Andrew Sangster and Pier Paolo Battistelli have=
produced a new account that examines the Italian campaign, from Sicily to = surrender in 1945, and explores the strategy, intentions, motives, plans, a=
nd deeds involved.

"Flawed Commanders and Strategy in the Battles for Italy, 1943-45" then off= ers a detailed insight into the five commanders who led the battles in Ital=
y -- the two British commanders, Montgomery and Alexander; two American, Pa= tton and Clark; and the leading German commander, Field Marshal Kesselring.

Their personal notes and accounts, taken alongside archival material, provi= des some surprising conclusions -- revealing that Montgomery was not quite = the master of war he is portrayed as; that Patton had serious flaws, expose=
d by wasting men's lives to save a relative and overlooking the shooting of=
prisoners of war; that Clark lost lives to bolster his image; that Alexand=
er the gentleman was far too vague to be effective as a senior leader. Mean= while, condemned war criminal Kesselring appears to be the most efficient a=
nd also, like Alexander, one of the most popular leaders.

Critique: A simply fascinating read from cover to cover, "Flawed Commanders=
and Strategy in the Battles for Italy, 1943- 45" is an iconoclastic study = that is a remarkable work of seminal scholarship. Essential reading for mil= itary history buffs, students, and academia, "Flawed Commanders and Strateg=
y in the Battles for Italy, 1943-45" is a unique and highly recommended add= ition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library=
World War II history collections and supplement curriculum studies lists. =
It should be noted that "Flawed Commanders and Strategy in the Battles for = Italy, 1943-45" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,=
$17.49).

Editorial Note #1: Dr Andrew Sangster holds his doctorate in Modern Europea=
n History as well as degrees in Law, Theology, History and English. He has = written several biographies including Lord Alan Brooke, Beria, Franco, Gori= ng, Goebbels, Himmler, a history of France 1936-46 and an account of the ma=
in European Secret Services before 1939.

Editorial Note #2: Dr Pier Paolo Battistelli gained an MA degree in the Uni= versity of Perugia, Italy, and was awarded a Ph.D. degree at the University=
of Padua, Italy, with a thesis on the German-Italian military partnership = during WWII. Dr. Battistelli is active as a translator, a military history = consultant, and author, publishing a number of books on different subjects =
of history related to WWII. (https://www.casematepublishers.com/author/pier= -paolo-battistelli)

Skagerrak: The Battle of Jutland Through German Eyes
Gary Staff
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399077163, $26.95, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Skagerrak-Battle-Jutland-Through-German/dp/139907716=
3

Synopsis: In January 1916 Vizeadmiral Scheer took command of the High Sea F= leet. This aggressive and pugnacious German military leader embarked upon a=
vigorous offensive program which culminated in the greatest clash between = dreadnought capital ships the world had seen. Although outnumbered almost t=
wo to one, Vizeadmiral Scheer conducted a provocative operation on 31 May 1= 916. Who would prevail: the massive preponderance of British heavy caliber = cannon, or the aggressive tactics of the street fighter Scheer?

Manning the ships of both sides were the technically skilled and talented s= eamen who were prepared to carry out their duties loyally and courageously = until the very end. Over 8,500 men perished in less than 10 hours of fighti= ng, a horrendous loss, even by World War One standards.

With the publication of "Skagerrak: The Battle of Jutland Through German Ey= es", author and historian Gary Staff gives voice to many of the German Navy=
participants, from a German perspective, on this tumultuous battle fought = over 100 years ago.

These men gave their all and are gone now, but not forgotten.

Critique: Original published in 2016, this new complete and unabridged pape= rback edition is Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion o=
f Appendices, seven pages of Notes, and a seven page Index, "Skagerrak: The=
Battle of Jutland Through German Eyes" is an exceptionally well written, o= rganized and presented account that is an inherently fascinating read and a=
n important and valued contribution to community, college, and university l= ibrary World War I history collections. It should be noted for the personal=
reading lists of students, academia, and military history buffs that "Skag= errak: The Battle of Jutland Through German Eyes" is also available in a di= gital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Gary Staff (https://www.usni.org/people/gary-staff) is a fo= rmer airline pilot but he has been fascinated with naval history, and speci= fically with the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserlischmarine) for decades. He h=
as visited archives in Britain, Germany and elsewhere to study, and often t= ranslate for the first time, official documents relating to this subject. H=
is previous books for Pen & Sword are The Battle for the Baltic Islands 191=
7; Battle on the Seven Seas and German Battlecruisers of World War One.

The Great Redan at Sebastopol
James W. Bancroft
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399060523, $49.95, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Redan-Sebastopol-Victoria-Crosses/dp/139906052=
X

Synopsis: On 18 June 1855 British assault troops moved out of their trenche=
s before Sebastopol in the Crimea, and attacked the formidable Russian bast= ion known as the Great Redan. They came under such a murderous fire from th=
e Russian defenders that the attack faltered, and the British were eventual=
ly forced to fall back. As they did so, they left over 1,000 comrades dead = and dying out in the open and at the mercy of enemy snipers.

The Siege of Sebastopol saw the development of trench warfare for the first=
time. Using eyewitness accounts and unpublished letters, with the publicat= ion of "The Great Redan at Sebastopol: The Most Victoria Crosses Awarded fo=
r a Single Action", author and historian James W. Bancroft tells the riveti=
ng story of how the men coped with the terrible conditions as they prepared=
for the assault -- as well as the events during and after the fighting. Am= ong the anecdotes is an officer who had the ingenious idea of warming up ca= nnon balls in the camp fires and taking them into the tents at night to kee=
p warm; and he went on to live for over a hundred years!

Well-known for his depth of research, Bancroft questions a number of points=
regarding the Great Redan that are commonly believed to be historical fact=
.. Quoting the father of Alexander the Great, it was the Russians who, soon = after the assault on the Great Redan, first referred to the British as, 'An=
army of lions led on by donkeys'. For over 100 years it was stated in many=
publications that the most Victoria Crosses awarded for a single action wa=
s the eleven presented for actions during the defense of Rorke's Drift duri=
ng the Zulu War in 1879. However, as Bancroft reveals, twenty of the lions = who fought at the Great Redan received Britain's highest gallantry award, i=
n whole, or in part, for their actions on 18 June 1855.

"The Great Redan at Serbastopol" also includes biographical tributes to man=
y of the men who were killed in action, gives details of the places where t= hey are commemorated, and provides biographies with all the up-to-date info= rmation concerning the twenty Victoria Cross recipients.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a sec= tion of black/white Plates, two Appendices (Crimean War VCs by Units & Reda=
n 60th Anniversary Commemoration), a six page listing of Bibliography and R= esearch Sources, and a three page Index, "The Great Redan at Sebastopol: Th=
e Most Victoria Crosses Awarded for a Single Action" is an impressively inf= ormative and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, coll= ege, and university library 19th Century British Military History collectio=
ns and supplemental curriculum Crimean War studies lists. It should be note=
d for students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist genera=
l readers with an interest in the subject that "The Great Redan at Sebastop= ol" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).

Editorial Note: In the four decades that James W. Bancroft has been writing=
he has produced more than 100 books and articles, the subjects of which re= flect his varied interests. He contributed a number of articles for The New=
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and his book Rorke's Drift: The Z= ulu War, 1879 has been re-printed seven times.

Black Tulip
Erik Schmidt
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636243030, $19.95, PB, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Tulip-Hartmann-Worlds-Fighter/dp/1636243037

Synopsis: With the publication of "Black Tulip: The Life and Myth of Erich = Hartmann, the World's Top Fighter Ace", author Erik Schmidt presents the dr= amatic story of history's top German fighter ace, Luftwaffe pilot Erich Har= tmann. "Black Tulip" is also the story of how his service under Hitler was = simplified and elevated to Western mythology during the Cold War.

With over 1,404 wartime missions, Hartmann claimed a staggering 352 airborn=
e kills, and his career contains all the dramas you would expect. There wer=
e the frostbitten fighter sweeps over the Eastern Front, drunken forays to = Hitler's Eagle's Nest, a decade of imprisonment in the wretched Soviet POW = camps, and further military service during the Cold War that ended with con= flict and angst.

Just when Hartmann's second career was faltering, he was adopted by a netwo=
rk of writers and commentators personally invested in his welfare and reput= ation. These men, mostly Americans, published elaborate, celebratory storie=
s about Hartmann and his elite fraternity of Luftwaffe pilots. With each do= gfight tale put into print, Hartmann's legacy became loftier and more secur=
e, and his complicated service in support of Nazism faded away. A simplifie=
d, one-dimensional account of his life (devoid of the harder questions abou=
t allegiance and service under Hitler) has gone unchallenged for almost a g= eneration.

"Black Tulip" locates the ambiguous truth about Hartmann and so much of the=
German Wehrmacht in general: that many of these men were neither full-blow=
n Nazis nor impeccable knights. They were complex, contradictory, and elusi= ve. This book portrays a complex human rather than the heroic caricature we= 're used to, and it argues that the tidy, polished hero stories we've inher= ited about men like Hartmann say as much about those who've crafted them as=
they do about the heroes themselves.

Critique: A fascinating and impressively informative biography/history of t=
he German Ace fighter pilot Erich Hartmann, "Black Tulip: The Life and Myth=
of Erich Hartmann, the World's Top Fighter Ace" is especially brought to t=
he attention of readers with an interest in Military Aviation History in ge= neral, and World War II History & Biographies in particular. Originally pub= lished in hardcover in 2020, this new paperback edition of "Black Tulip" is=
especially appropriate for persona, professional, community, and academic = library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of s= tudents and military history buffs that "Black Tulip" is also readily avail= able in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and unabri= dged audio book (Tantor & Blackstone Audio, 9798200168989, $39.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Erik Schmidt (https://www.erikschmidtwrites.com) has made a=
career of researching complicated topics. A former magazine editor and sen= ior marketing writer, he has an MFA in creative nonfiction and a lifelong l= ove of history and aviation. He is a freelance writer living in Denver, Col= orado with his family.

Matchlocks to Flintlocks: Warfare in Europe and Beyond, 1500-1700
William Brban
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399020626, $29.95, PB, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Matchlocks-Flintlocks-Warfare-Europe-1500-1700/dp/13= 99020625

Synopsis: In the early modern world three dominant cultures of war were sha= ped by a synergy of their internal and external interactions. One was Latin=
Christian western Europe. Another was Ottoman Islam. The third, no less vi= tal for so often being overlooked, was central and east Europe: Poland/Lith= uania, Livonia, Russia, the freebooting Cossacks, a volatile mix of variati= ons on a general Christian theme.

With the publication of "Matchlocks to Flintlocks: Warfare in Europe and Be= yond, 1500-1700", Professor William Urban offers a fascinating narrative in=
the form of an integrated account of early modern war at the sharp end: of=
campaigns and battles, soldiers and generals. Temporally it extends from t=
he French invasion of Italy in 1494 to Austria's Balkan victories culminati=
ng in the 1718 Treaty of Peterwardein. Geographically it covers ground from=
the Low Countries to the depths of the Ukraine.

That narrative in turn focuses Urban's major analytical points: the replace= ment of crowd armies by professionals, and the professionals integration in=
to crown armies: government-supervised, bureaucratized institutions. The ke=
y to this process was the mercenary. Originally recruited because the oblig= ations of feudal levies were too limited, mercenary forces evolved operatio= nally into skilled users of an increasingly complex gunpowder technology in=
ever more complex tactical situations. By the end of the seventeenth centu= ry, soldiers were identifying with the states and the rulers they served.

Critique: Originally published in hardcover in 2011, "Matchlocks to Flintlo= cks: Warfare in Europe and Beyond, 1500- 1700" is now available in a paperb= ack edition from Frontline Books. Featuring a number of illustrations, twen= ty-four pages of Notes, a six page bibliography of Readings, and a seven pa=
ge Index, "Matchlocks to Flintlocks" is a superbly presented work of semina=
l historical scholarship and recommended as a core addition to personal, pr= ofessional, community, college, and university Library European Military Hi= story collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be n= oted that now "Matchlocks to Flintlocks" is also available for students, ac= ademia, historians, and military history buffs in a digital book format (Ki= ndle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: William L Urban (https://department.monm.edu/history/urban.= htm) is an internationally recognized authority on the history of European = warfare. He served as L Morgan Professor of History and International Studi=
es at Monmouth College (Illinois). For several years he was editor of the J= ournal of Baltic Studies. He has written some two dozen scholarly books inc= luding The Teutonic Knights (2003) and Small Wars, and their Influence on t=
he Nation State (2016)

Lucky Hitler's Big Mistakes
Paul Ballard-Whyte
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399074377, $34.95, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Hitlers-Mistakes-Paul-Ballard-Whyte/dp/1399074= 377

Synopsis: Adolf Hitler's military experiences during World War I in no way = qualified him for supreme command. Yet by July 1940, under his personal lea= dership the Third Reich's armed forces had defeated Poland, Czechoslovakia,=
Holland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium and France. The invasion of Great Britai=
n was a distinct reality following Dunkirk. Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania h=
ad become allies along with the acquiescent military powers of Mussolini's = Italy and Franco's Spain.

These achievements prompted Field Marshal Willem Keitel, the Wehrmacht's Ch= ief of Staff, to pronounce Hitler to be 'the Greatest Commander of all time=
'.

But then the disastrous decision to tear up the treaty with the Soviet Unio=
n and launch Operation Barbarossa in 1941 occurred. As described in "Lucky = Hitler's Big Mistakes" by Paul Ballard-White's meticulously researched and = highly readable study, Hitler's blind ideology, racist hatred and single-mi= ndedness led him and his allies inexorably to devastating defeat.

How far was it good luck that gave Hitler his sensational early political a=
nd military successes? Certainly fortune played a major role in his surviva=
l from many assassination attempts and sex scandals. "Lucky Hitler's Big Mi= stakes" concludes that from 1941 onwards, the Fuhrer's downfall was entirel=
y attributable to military misjudgments that he alone made.

Lucky: Hitler's Big Mistakes exposes the enigmatic Dictator for what he rea= lly was -- incredibly lucky and militarily incompetent.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and original study, "Lucky Hitler's Big=
Mistakes" features an eleven page Glossary, a seven page Bibliography, a s=
ix page Index. Not to be missed is a special 'What Happened to Each Charact= er' list. Informed and informative, deftly organized and presented, "Lucky = Hitler's Big Mistakes" is a valued and valuable inclusion for both communit=
y and academic library World War II History/Biography collections and a cri= tically important addition to supplemental curriculum Adolph Hitler studies=
lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Lucky Hitler's = Big Mistakes" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Paul Ballard-Whyte (www.luckyhitler.com) has also recently = published a short story set in Afghanistan titled 'The Three Birthdays' and=
has previously written and directed several short films.

A Photographic History of Amphibious Warfare 1939-1945
Simon Forty, author
Jonathan Forty, author
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399082655, $42.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Photographic-History-Amphibious-Warfare-1939-1945/dp= /1399082655

Synopsis: Amphibious operations have always been an important element of wa= rfare, but they reached their climax during the Second World War when they = were carried out on a large scale in every theater of the conflict. That is=
why "A Photographic History of Amphibious Warfare 1939-1945", wide-ranging=
, highly illustrated World War II history of amphibious warfare by Simon an=
d Jonathan Forty is of such immense value.

"A Photographic History of Amphibious Warfare 1939-1945 " gives graphic acc= ounts of the main amphibious assaults launched by the major combatants, in = particular the British, American, German and Japanese -- and not just large= -scale landings like those in North Africa, Normandy, the Philippines and O= kinawa, but also raids such as Dieppe and St Nazaire and evacuations like D= unkirk and Kerch.

The rapid development of amphibious tactics and equipment is an essential e= lement of the story, as are the vital roles played by the navies, air force=
s, armies and special forces in each complex combined operation. Of special=
note is the section on amphibious operations that were planned but didn't = happen, such as the German invasion of Britain and the Italian and German o= peration against Malta.

Critique: Simply packed from cover to cover with black/white historic photo=
s, "A Photographic History of Amphibious Warfare 1939-1945" is a seminally = informative, exceptionally well organized, and reservedly recommended core = addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library World W=
ar II naval history collections and supplemental curriculum studies reading=
lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and WWII military histor=
y buffs that "A Photographic History of Amphibious Warfare 1939-1945" is al=
so available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Simon Forty was educated in Dorset and the north of England=
before reading history at London University's School of Slavonic and East = European Studies. He has been involved in publishing since the mid-1970s, f= irst as editor and latterly as author. Son of author and RAC Tank Museum cu= rator George Forty, he has continued in the family tradition writing mainly=
on historical and military subjects including books on the Napoleonic Wars=
and the two world wars. Recently he has produced a range of highly illustr= ated books on the Normandy battlefields, the Atlantic Wall and the liberati=
on of the Low Countries with co-author Leo Marriott.

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

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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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