Gunny has been to the book store

[TX-Gunslinger]

Man oh man - is this a rich and different genre!!!

Skipped out of work a little on Thursday and went to my favorite Model aircraft/hobby store.  We are blessed with a fantastic, old and privately run store of this kind called surprisingly "King's Hobby" here in Austin.

Purchased the following:

"Abatross Aces of WWI"
and
"British and Empire Aces of WWI" - Osprey - light reading - good overviews


Even better find:

"Billy Bishop - The man and the aircraft he flew"

Albert Ball, Billy Bishop and Mick Mannock are just incredible characters to read about - and yes routine flights to 15,000 feet - then sickness after missions.  Billy says that getting to 15,000 feet was not the hard part - but "thawing out" afterwards was the most painful experience of his life.

But the best of my haul so far, is:

"Under the Guns of the GERMAN ACES - Immelmann, Voss, Goring and Lothar von Richthofen - The Complete Record of Their Victories and Victims"

Priceless.  Documents both confirmed kills, unconfirmed kills, controversies, but most importantly has bio's and pics of each confirmed kills.

S~

Gunny

[TX-Kingsnake]

You find out about all sorts of historical things when you get a new flight sim. It makes an interest in history and aviation somehow more immerse.

[TX-Gunslinger]

You find out about all sorts of historical things when you get a new flight sim. It makes an interest in history and aviation somehow more immerse.

Yes, so right you are.  I walked into the hobby shop and grabbed my new WWI books at 20 - 33% off, strode up to the counter and the "Hobby shop dude" said to me, "My god man - you have WWI books" (as if I were mad) - have not seen anyone like you in a while".

He then proceeded to give me a 20% Off coupon which I was going to cash today....but 2nd hard drive failed.... now it's recovered - so I only lost one day...
I did not see this when you first posted....thanks

S~!

Gunny

[TX-Gunslinger]

I raided the WWI section in affluant, NW Bethesda Borders.....  great finds..

"The Kaiser's Battle"  Martin Middlebrook - $32.95 - I could not put it down until done....read on travel last week.

"At 9:30 AM ON 21 MARCH 1918, one of the greatest battles of the First World War commenced when three German armies struck a massive blow against the weak divisions of the British Thrid and Fifth Armies.  It was the first day of what the Germans called Kaiserschlacht (The Kaiser's Battle,), the series of attacks that were intended to break the deadlock on the Western Front, knock the British Army out of the war, and finally bring a victory to Germany.  In the event the cost of the gamble was so heavy that, once the assualt faltered, it remained only for the Allies to push the exhausted German armies back and the Great War was at last over."

"Written by Martin Middlebrook, the highly regarded military historian and best selling author of First Day on the Somme and other acclaimed works, this is a superbly researched and written account."

SUNDAY TIMES:
The clever blending of written and oral accounts from some 650 surviving British and German soldiers makes the book an extremely convincing reconstruction.

DAILY TELEGRAPH
Mr Middlebrook's industry and patience are displayed in his amazing collection of eyewitness accounts, the compassion in his commentary, the good sense in his analysis.


For me, so far - the very best book on WWI I've read.  Details in infantry attack techniques - British defense and counterattack structure - Significant artillery techniques, tactics and procedures. 

Good book to put things in perspective - aircraft are secondary ...

For me, this was the battle that started the concept of "Blitzkrieg".  Rommel, Guderian, Von Rundstedt, Von Manstein, Von Kiest, Von Mantueffel, Von Bock....et al, all studied, wargamed and some even particpated in this battle, in which the British 5th Army was literally destroyed, while the German's made the largest advances of WWI, made by any army since 1914.

S~

Gunny