Recommended reading, What do you read when you have the time

Thought I'd kick off a thread here as I am re-reading Fly Navy "Naval Aviators and Carrier Aviation - A History". By Philip Kaplan published by Aurum Press ISBN 1 854107674.

As title would suggest it plots the hardware, tactics of Naval Aviation from its beginging up the the Gulf War. Some great colour and B/W photo's together with insights into Naval Avaition Warfare from the people involved a la the lost voices series of books, would thoroughly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the subject.

One amusing snipit is at the end of the book and is a transcript of sa radio conversation between the US and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October 1995. This was released by the US Chief of Naval Operations, 10 October 1995. As such is in the public record.

Canadians Please divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avaoid a collision.

Americans Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the North.

Canadians Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

Americans This is a Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.

Canadians No. I say again divert YOUR course.

Americans This is the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, the second largest ship in the United States Atlantic Fleet. We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers, and numerous support vessels. I demand that you change course 15 degrees North. I say again, that's one five degrees North, or counter-measures will be undertaken to ensure the safety of this ship.

Canadians we are a lighthouse. Your call.

Well it made me chuckle

A good book if you are interested in the Normandy battles and the role of the Churchill Crocodile flame throwing tank is "Flame Thrower" by Andrew Wilson MC.
He was a troop commander with 141 RTR (The Buffs), part of 79th Armoured Division.

I also like "To Sea in a Sieve" by Peter Bull, who commanded the landing craft LCT-303 and LCF-16. As he was an actor and theatre manager, not a sailor, it makes for an interesting read!

cheers

Andrew

For Christmas I was given "Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory" by Ben Macintyre

It's the story of "The Man That Never Was" - planting a body off the coast of Spain, with false documents on his body, as part of the deception plan to mask the invasion of Sicily.

Highly recommended. Although I think it's stretching the truth a bit to say that it "Assured an Allied Victory".

I'd also suggest finding a copy of "The Man That Never Was" by Ewan Montagu, who was one of the Intelligence officers who planned the operation. It was published in 1953, and was subject to censorship under the Official Secrets Act, so it's not complete by any means, but still a good read.

cheers

Andrew

All books i will add to my list. Right now I'm reading



And this



Both are hard to put down and highly recommended

Im still laughing

Three very good reads.

A must if you liked THE GREAT ESCAPE ,This chap was being lead to the cooler while the escape was going on.Cracking read I could not put it down.


Read these next two books if you like ZULU and ZULU DAWN riviting reads of the
worst and best of the British Army on that fatefull day Jan 22/23rd 1879.





Dave

currently reading (again) Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden

last book was Sniper One by Dan Mills

Just finished reading this:



And just started this: