What are you reading at the moment?

[Kyt]

I am now reading Beam Bombers: Secret War of No.109 Squadron: Michael Cumming

It is written in a completely different style to the above and its taken me a couple of days to get into it. The writing is quite lyrical actually. Haven't got to the "gripping" stuff yet, but still well worth the effort of hunting down a copy.

[Kyt]

I have also picked up a copy (cheaper than retail but still damn expensive ) of Phoenix from the Ashes: The Indian Army in the Burma Campaign: Daniel P. Marston I intend to savour this one.

A full review Second World War Books Review

[Brian S]

At present I am reading"Voices from the Fortress" by Paul Rea. The story of other Rank Escapers who when finally caught were put into a Czechoslovakian Concentration Camp.

Cost ; a gift from an Australian friend.

[Antipodean Andy]

Night after Night - New Zealanders in Bomber Command by Max Lambert.

[ABMM]

I'm reading "Gold Warriors: America's Secret Recovery of Yamashita's Gold" by Sterling and Peggy Seagrave. It's quite a read.

[Kyt]

Dipping in and out rather than reading cover to cover is this book that I picked up because I thought it would be handy reference. But it's turned out to be well written and the narrative is quite readable:

Bombs Gone: Development and Use of British Air-dropped Weapons from 1912 to Present Day by MacBean & Hogben.

As its nearly 20 years old the last chapter or so is rather dated but the rest is an excellent introduction to the subject, especially as there's virtually nothing else out there on RAF ordnance.

I've also just picked up a rather tatty copy of STOLEN JOURNEY by Oliver Philpot. Philpot was one of the trio who escaped using the Wooden Horse (made famous by Eric Williams). And there's a few drawings by Ronald Searle (who did the original St Trinians drawings, and who was himself captured at Singapore).

[Antipodean Andy]

Excellent pick up by the sounds of it, Kyt, even if it is a tatty copy. I managed the same with a tatty-ish copy of Reflections from a Darkened Cockpit recently. Was disappointed it was a bit dog-eared and scuffed but worth the effort!

[Kyt]

Well, with not internet for four days, I've had the opportunity to catch up with some reading.

I finished Beam Bombers #111

I then read Amazon.co.uk: Coastal Ace: Biography of Squadron Leader Terence Malcolm Bulloch: Tony Spooner: Books in a day. It's a very good, and easy read written by a fellow Coastal Command and BOAC pilot who knew Bulloch well. The details of Bulloch's missions, and to some degree his personality, are well detailed. Well worth a read (if you can pick up a cheap copy).

Then I started two books. The first is RDFI - The detection of aircraft by radio methods 1935-1945: The Location of Aircraft by Radar Methods 1935-1945: Michael Bragg which is an excellent history of the development of RDF (The 1 in the title is for ground radar - RDF2 was airborne radar). It goes into the political, as well as the technical details. The technical aspects are detailed but not overly so - even a complete novice like myself could understand most of it.

The other book (for light relief) is The Forgotten French: Exiles in the British Isles, 1940-44: Nicholas Atkin which looks at the "myth" that all French exiles were supporters of De Gaulle. It starts by looking at the history of the small French exile communities over the last century or so. It then examines those french who were rescued at Dunkirk (of whom a very large number were either transported back to France to carry on fighting for the two weeks or so before the surrender, or elected to return to France after the surrender). It then goes on to examine the great divisions between the different French groups in Britain, and the problems De Gaulle had in establising himself as a leader of a viable army-in-exile.

I've also been dipping into the Bombs book I mentioned in an earlier post, and have had a browse through a book I received for free Amazon.co.uk: Even the Birds Were Walking: The Story of Wartime Meteorological Reconnaissance: John Kington,Peter G. Rackliff: Books

[Nostalgair]

Kyt,

You're a reading machine!

Cheers,

Owen

[spidge]

Welcome back Kyt.

Your reaing 4 days, me a year!