Friday, January 11, 2008

Status and some idle thoughts

In case you had figured this out, I have a situation going that is leaving me with little time to write. I would hope that I will eventually have more time again. My plan includes acquiring more of the Official History books from the war in North Africa, if not other theaters, as well. I would summarize those and comment on them, as well as books such as Harry Klein's Springboks in Armour: The South African Armoured Cars in World War Two. I also would like to acquire some more of the basic source books for the war in North Africa, as well as more information about British armoured fighting vehicles, if not German, French, Italian, American, and Russian.

9 comments:

Mark said...

Jim,

I really enjoy your blog. I myself have read the first four volumes of the HMSO histories. How many of them do you have?

Best Regards

Mark

Jim said...

Mark,

Thank you. I have five volumes of the War in the Mediterranean and Middle East and then Col. Ellis's book about the War in France and Flanders 1939-1940. I have found the Commonwealth histories useful, as well.

Regards,

Jim

Jim said...

Mark,

Actually, it is Major L. F. Ellis who wrote The War in France and Flanders 1939-1940, published in 1953.

Regards,

Jim

Mark said...

Jim,

Mark said...

Jim,

I have read and took notes from the first four volumes of the Med and ME. I wish I actually owned them! Could you please tell me one thing. I want to make sure I have not lost anything, is there a chart showing replacement/reinforement aircraft sent to the Middle East for each of the volumes (I through IV)or just for some of them?

Do you own or have you read any other official histories?

Many Thanks and Best Regards,

Mark

Jim said...

Mark,

Sadly, there is not a complete listing of aircraft arriving in the Middle East or the larger Mediterranean theater in all the volumes. Each volume has some unique tables of data, but there are just a few topics that are covered in all the volumes, such as armoured fighting vehicles and aircraft.

I also have the Australian Official History volume To Benghazi, which is more detailed and has excellent footnotes. I hope to purchase more of the Australian series.

As you may be aware, the New Zealand history is online, although I am unsure if it is complete. What I have seen is quite substantial.

Regards,

Jim Bender

Mark said...

Jim,

Thanks for the info, I was worried that I had lost some of my notes. I had obtained the first 4 vols a few years ago from inter-library loan and took extensive notes. I thought since the info seemed to be incomplete that I had lost some of it. Thanks for easing my mind about it.

I know I have seen the complete series priced at $350 earlier this year, a little expensive for me.

Have you concentrated your research on the Allies or have you researched the Axis histories as well?

Best Regards,

Mark

Jim said...

Mark,

I have concentrated on the Allied side for a variety of reasons. The main thing is that in university libraries to which I have had access, they have only had the Allied histories. I also can only read a modest amount of German and have no real facility with Italian.

My primary interest is in the tanks and armoured cars, with some interest in artillery. That is where the bulk of my library is concentrated.

My primary research is in a totally different area: 17th Century Dutch naval history. I am particularly interested in the ships and guns. For that I have been learning to read Dutch and to read the old handwriting.

Because WWII military history is such well-covered ground, I had been looking for new territory.

Regards,

Jim Bender

Mark said...

Jim,

You really have some varied interests, I too branch out in other topics of interest.

There may still be stories yet to uncovered, even after 60 years. I am a member of a group researching NA and MTO. I don't mean to use your website as an advertisement for ours, but you seem to be very knowledgeable about the North African Campaign and we would like to have people like yourself come and visit our site. Our website is www.afrikakorps.org, we are under construction now, many articles on both dealing with all countries of both sides are forthcoming. We would appreciate a visit from you when we have our forum up and running, so consider this an open invitation.

Best Regards,

Mark

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