Book Review – Fallschirm-Panzer-Division ‘Hermann Göring’: A History of the Luftwaffe’s Only Armoured Division, 1933-1945

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Lawrence Paterson http://lawrencepaterson.com is the author of more than 20 WWII history books. The book Fallschirm-Panzer-Division ‘Hermann Göring’: A History of the Luftwaffe’s Only Armoured Division, 1933–1945 was published in February o this year.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘G’.

The Fallschirm unit dates from 1933. Göring created it for his personal protection. He wanted a force under his control that would rival the SS units controlled by Himmler. It was, in effect, a militarized police unit within the Luftwaffe. Over time it grew in size to a Brigade and finally into a Division.

As the war progressed, the Fallschirm Division was deployed alongside the Wehrmacht. The unit saw action in Poland, the Low Countries, and France during 1939 and 1940. It later saw action on the Eastern Front, then in North Africa. They later confronted the Allies in both Sicily and Italy. As the war wound down to a close, it was pulled back to defend the homeland.

The author details the leaders of the Division as well as the various deployments. It was often broken up, with smaller subunits serving in different areas.

I enjoyed the 11 hours I spent reading this 348-page WWII history. Until I read this book, I did not realize that it was a Luftwaffe Infantry/Panzer unit. I found it particularly interesting that they encountered the US 36th Infantry Division in Italy. The 36th was formed around the Texas National Guard in 1940. I have been a docent the last three years at the Texas Military Forces Museum on Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas. That is the headquarters of the Texas National Guard, and we are the museum for the 36th. I like the chosen cover art. I give this book a rating of 3.6 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 580 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.

Book Review: Red Burning Sky: A WWII Novel Inspired by the Greatest Aviation Rescue in History

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Tom Young https://tomyoungbooks.com is the author of ten books and novels. The novel Red Burning Sky: A WWII Novel Inspired by the Greatest Aviation Rescue in History was published in February of 2022.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as ‘R’. The novel has two main characters. US Army lieutenant Bill Bogdonavich is the bombardier on a B-24. US Army Lieutenant Drew Carlton was formerly a bomber pilot. Now he is working with the OSS.

The Allies have finally made their landing in Normandy. War is still being fought aggressively in Italy and Eastern Europe. US Army B-24 bombers out of bases in Italy are hitting targets behind the German lines. On one of these missions, the plane with Bogdonavich on board is shot down over Yugoslavia. He parachutes to safety and connects with the local resistance, the Chetniks.

Carlton had been a bomber pilot out of the UK. But scrubbed missions found him assigned as a training pilot. He is offered the opportunity to join the OSS and get back into the fight. Thought dangerous, he jumps at it. Now he is flying defenseless transport aircraft on clandestine missions behind German lines.

Over the months of the war, hundreds of Allied pilots and crew have been shot down over Eastern Europe. The OSS devised a plan, Operation Halyard, to rescue them. In the novel, Carlton is the pilot of one of the transport aircraft that carries out the evacuation of the downed airmen.

Before they can be evacuated, the downed airmen and Chetniks must carve an airfield out of the forest. They do this under the nose of the German and Axis forces while also evading the communist resistance forces under Tito. The novel has Bogdonavich as one of the downed airmen preparing the field.

I enjoyed the 6.5+ hours I spent reading this 300-page WWII-era historical novel. I had not heard of this operation before reading this novel. Surprisingly, though operation Halyard successfully rescued more than 500 Allied airmen, it has not been well-publicized. The author does take some artistic license, but he portrays the general story of the operation. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.3 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 580 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.

Book Review – Seven Deaths of an Empire

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – G R Matthews https://www.grmatthews.com/ is the author of a dozen novels. Seven Deaths of an Empire was published in 2021 and is the first work in his Six Kingdoms Series.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as ‘R’. The novel has two primary characters. General Bordan commands the army of the Empire and is living in the capital. Apprentice Magician Kyron is far from the capital and is still learning his craft.

The Emperor died while on a campaign in the far North. His body is being escorted back south to the capital. There, the heir will be crowned as the new Emperor. Kyron and his master are with the honor guard. The road home is long and dangerous. Rebels in the surrounding forest would like to see them all dead.

Bordan is about to retire but feels it his duty to see the the heir crowned as the next Emperor. Rebellion, assassins, and political intrigue threaten the Empire. He must do what he can to protect the heir to the throne.

This is a story of intrigue and betrayal. Bordan has dedicated his life to supporting the Empire. He would rather die than see it fall. Kyron can barely control his magic. He is thrust unprepared into a dangerous world.

I enjoyed the 14.5 hours I spent reading this 471-page fantasy. The novel hops back and forth between Bordan and Kyron, giving each a chapter. The chosen cover art is a little plain. I give this novel a rating of 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Living History Weekend at Camp Mabry

2022-living-historyDownload

( See my other Texas Military Forces Museum posts) – The Living History detachment of the Texas National Guard will be presenting a Living History weekend on April 30 – May 1. This will be on both Saturday and Sunday. An 18th Century weapons demo will be held at 11:30 each day. Those will be followed at 1PM with a WWII reenactment.

Walk through 200 years of Texas military history in the 28,000 sq.ft. of interior Museum displays. View 50 vehicles and aircraft on display outside the museum.

Enter Camp Mabry via the 35th street entrance. A photo ID is required for all visitors. For further information as to the location and entrance requirements see the website.

Book Review: End of Days

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Brad Taylor https://bradtaylorbooks.com is the author of more than 15 novels. The novel End of Days was published in January of this year. It is the 16th volume in his Pike Logan thriller series.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this book as ‘R’. The primary characters are Taskforce operators Pike Logan and his wife, Jennifer Cahill.

The outbreak of COVID has kept Logan and Cahill sequestered in South Carolina. Israeli Mossad agents show up and entice the couple to accompany them on a mission. They jump at the chance to travel again.

At first, it is only supposed to be an easy, low-key trip. Soon they find themselves involved in a much more sinister plot. Several Israeli and US government officials are killed. The superficial evidence points to Hezbollah. But the four agents believe there is another group at work. They discover that radicals within the Knights of Malta are behind the assassinations. Between the deaths and the implication of Hezbollah involvement, they are trying to hasten the biblical End of Days.

Pike and friends must try to stop the radicals before a devastating war sweeps the Earth.

I enjoyed the 11+ hours I spent reading this 443-page thriller. This is the fourth novel by Taylor that I have read and reviewed. The Insider Threat, Ghosts of War, and Ring of Fire are the others. They are all very enjoyable thrillers. I give this novel a rating of 3.8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

A Book to add to your WWII History Shelf – The Desert Air War

I subscribe to several different ebook sales notification services. One of those is My Next Read.

In the email I received from them yesterday they noted that the ebook edition of The Desert Air War by Richard Townshend Bickers is currently available from Amazon for FREE. I have downloaded it but not yet read the 228 page volume. The book was published in 2015. I have read several of his WWII novels and enjoyed them.

If you are a student of WWII history you should act now to add this book to your bookshelf. These sales often last only a few days.

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If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 570 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.

Book Review: Roosevelt’s and Churchill’s Atlantic Charter: A Risky Meeting at Sea that Saved Democracy

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Michael Kluger and Richard Evans is the author of more than 20 books. This is Michael Kluger’s first publication. The book Roosevelt’s and Churchill’s Atlantic Charter: A Risky Meeting at Sea that Saved Democracy was published in 2021.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘G’.

As the title of this book indicates, the focus is on the war period meeting between Churchill and Roosevelt. In August of 1941, the two met at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada. Churchill had risked sailing across the U-Boat-infested North Atlantic to meet Roosevelt face-to-face. Roosevelt made the trip to meet Churchill in secret, going so far as to employ a double.

The authors cover the early life and entry into politics of both men. They also delve into the other personalities at the meeting. The book covers more than simply the meeting and the signing of The Atlantic Charter.

I enjoyed the 8 hours I spent reading this 248-page WWII-era history. For those interested in the history of WWII, this book will provide more background on the Allied leaders. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 570 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.

Book Review: Engines of Empire

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – R S Ford https://www.wordhog.co.uk/ is the author of eight novels. This novel, Engines of Empire was published in January of this year. It is the first in his Age of Uprisingseries.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’. This is due to scenes of violence and mature language. The nation of Torwyn is run by the various Guilds. Each of those is dominated by a family. The Hawkspurs is one of those principal families. Sullivar is head of the Hawkspurs family and the emperor of Torwyn, his wife Rosomon the matriarch of the family. They have three adult-age children.

The story revolves around Rosomon and her three children. Conail is the eldest and an officer in the military. He leaves the capital for the frontier to establish a reputation for himself. He is committed to a life in the military even though many career officers consider him an interfering noble.

Daughter Tyreta is the middle child and a sorceress. She is learning to channel the power of pyrestone. That substance is the magic behind the industry of Torwyn. She leaves the capital for another part of the frontier. She discovers the truth behind the native population that is being suppressed.

The youngest child, Fulren, is a skilled artificer. The foreign emissary, Assenah Neskhon of Jubara, arrives from Nyrakkis. Fulren is tasked to be her guide around the city. After a few days, assassins attack the two. He is left wounded and framed for the attack. To prevent a war with Nyrakkis, he is sent there for punishment.

Once the children have all left the capital, Emperor Sullivar is killed in a coup. Rosomon must find a way to flee the city to safety. Each of the children faces their own dangerous adventures. They all must find a way to survive if the Empire is to be saved.

I enjoyed the 16.5 hours I spent reading this 625-page fantasy. The story is full of perilous adventures. It is also filled with plots, political wrangling, and conspiracies. If you like epic tales of fantasy, you will enjoy this novel. I give it a rating of 4.8 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

A Book to Add to Your WWII History Shelf – Hitler’s Atlantic Wall

I subscribe to several different ebook sales notification services. One of those is My Next Read.

In the email I received from them today they noted that the ebook edition of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall by Anthony Saunders is currently available from Amazon for FREE. I have downloaded it but not yet read the 177 page volume. The book was published in 2014.

If you are a student of WWII history you should act now to add this book to your bookshelf. These sales often last only a few days.

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If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 570 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII. Included are links to many finction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.