Going in Circles: Hitler's Panzers by Showalter

I'll admit, this morning I entirely forgot the significance of todays date (See this date's post from last year).
Last weekend I bought a recent book (new to me), the only thing at Hastings I could find of marginal interest to me I could afford: 

Dennis Showalter

Hitler's Panzers: The Lighning Attacks that revolutionized Warfare.

Berkely Caliber, New York, 2009.  ISBN 978-0-425-23004-6

Pretty good actually, I really liked his treatment of the organizational expansion issues.  As a popular overview for beginners, outstanding, well written (I've tried to read a couple of pieces of real dreck recently), and only a couple of minor technical errors. 

Repeated discussion of how NOT nice the Germans were. Only two mentions of recent contemporary western Historians I noticed, Dave Glantz is discussed primarily in the context of Operation Mars, and Catherine Meridale is the only other modern historian metioned by name. And a mention of  "Order of Battle" and "Rivet Counter" hobbyists..... (Which one am I?)

The final, "Epilogue" chapter could have been usefully expanded.  I undersand the goal of a brief, non-scholarly popular account (The metion of Adolf in the title ought to boost sales somewhat);  But suggestions for wider reading would have been appropriate, and a fuller discussion of the cold war historiography issues so brilliantly analyzed by Dave Glantz in his Voprosy Istorii article.  (Note: When you enter "Glantz Voprosy Istorii" in the search Box, it will pop right up).

But recommended for bright eighteen year olds interested in the subject, I'll be sending it on to my nephew, er, eventually.  I got my $6.99 worth.

Because....

Yesterday I told the volunteer ladies at our communtity center library to just take the stack of Nazi Glorification coffee table books (Walmart donations?) and put them in the forthcoming book sale.  This morning I wander in, and another person has "cataloged" them (It's not a real catalog, but that's another issue) and hands them to a different volunteer, saying we don't have room on the shelves, so "we" will store these until we do (there never will be room on the shelves, it is a fixed space).

At least there is a convenient brick wall for me to beat my head against.  Oh, that feels so good.

Military History for Beginners (Part 1)

Twice recently I had the opportunity to suggest books for an eighteen year old. Without particularly knowing what they were interested in, just generic "Military History" (OK, there is hope left in the world....).

Sometimes I need something like that to realize just how deeply knowledgeable I am, but I will have a stab at it here.

First, every generation writes it's own "popular" history. Right now there is a book on First World War UK war resistors masquerading as Military History on Amazon, it is an interesting read, but not something for the market I am interested in. But it keeps popping up in my recomendations.

So start with the basics, authors. Two major figures of the last generation are John Keegan (Still active) and Stephen E. Ambrose (1936-2002). A trip to the bookstore or local library should turn up multiple titles by both authors. Pick one related to a subject he (she?) has expressed interest in, it will probably satisfy any eighteen year old.

The whole issue of Nazi Glorification and the Hitler Channel is too complex for a beginner, but one very useful specialist book I like to recommend is Richard Overy, Why the Allies Won (1995). And his survey, Russia's War (1997) is pretty good too, nice readable length.

In particular I would recommend Keegan's Face of Battle (1976), one of the foundations of the "new" military history (Don't ask), or Six Armies in Normandy (1982). You can probably find one of those at the local Friends of the Library. He has been a prolific author throughout the field. And the Ambrose book on D-Day should be available cheap.

Another popular historian to consider from the prior generation is Cornelius Ryan (1920-1974). Three enormously successful books, The Longest Day (D-Day),(1959), The Last Battle (1966) about the Fall of Berlin, much material reprised by Max Hastings for Armageddon, and A Bridge to Far (1974). One was for sale at my local chain book store, and there should be plenty of used copies out there. And yes, they were the inspiration for the two movies of the same titles.

(Revised & Expanded, Dec 9, 2012)

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