Military / history books and websites review.
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Please post your military/history books and websites recommendations here.
Please also write a brief summary if you can.
Or post an existing book review from websites.
Some pictures, too. -
Oh, please also name the books we SHOULDN'T buy.
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Haven't finished yet, less than halfway thru. But already, many widely-held misconceptions already dispelled.
This book, for example, removes any remaining doubts that the Allies knew EXACTLY where - and even when - the Japs were going to strike.
In that they were not taken by surprise.
From scratch, the defence of SG/MY was planned against a Japanese attack from the north with possibility of landing in Thailand.
The fact that the Allies knew and were prepared for exactly the battle they ended up fighting - and yet still lost - is the tragic story of Singapore.
Very detailed. This guy is one of those military historian who will name every aircraft, describe its performance, detail the shootouts etc.
Best book on Singapore WW2 so far.. -
http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/Assault.htm
Best website on military ammo and assault rifle development.
This, for example, is what they claim to be the world's first true assault rifle, the Russian Federov Avtomat of 1916
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http://world.guns.ru/main-e.htm
Best military/police small arms website - period. Run by a Russian gentlemen by the name of Max Popenker. -
Thought the allied forces was much more superior than the japs?? If the allied forces hold on a little bit long, the japs will retreat..
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not necessarily.
but war is always a game of poker, who bluffs better wins. -
The Defence and Fall of Singapore 1940-1942 by Brian Farrell
He was my lecturer in NUS for military history.
This book is available at national libraries. -
Further along into the reading of the Singapore Burning book.
I am now reading the part where the Japs are now at Johore.
So far throughout the campaign, the author has highlighted lots of acts of bravery and sacrifice by both sides.
In fact, a good indication is that the Allies suffered huge numbers of officers and NCO's killed and wounded including regimental commanders etc.
The Japs also had colonels killed in the fighting etc.
This author put a lot of blame so far on Indian troops, which he stressed that most were teenage and half-trained.
The Argylls and other troops from Great Britain so far had a rather blemish-free record and sometimes their seetbacks were caused by the Indians abandoning the flanks, which forced the Brits to retreat or risk encirclement.
One interesting point to note is that all the main battles were fought for the control of the main roads and bridges. All the tank action by the Japs were conducted ALONG the main roads.
Even with their tiny tanks, neither side tried to attack with tanks (or Bren carriers) through forests or plantations. (An important point to note for armchair strategists like me... especially some of whom claim that SAF AMX-13 are useful cos they can be deployed into plantations etc. The questions would be why didn't the Japs send their tanks into plantations?)
The jungles and plantations were used for infantry flanking attacks or escape and not used by the armoured attacking colums.
Most troops who escaped into the Malayan jungles took months to find their way to safety. Such was the size and the difficulties of the Malayan terrain. Many, of course died in the trek to safety either because of their wounds, starvation or disease. Even more were captured as they couldn't get anywhere fast enough through the jungles.
Another interesting point is that the Japs were able to make several coastal hooks (amphibious) into the Allies' rear and were able to force the Allies to retreat by threatening them with encirclement and destruction.
When the Japs enter Johore, encountered Aussie troops for the first time. The Aussies fought extremely bravely and, like the Argylls and other Brit troops, were able to score initial victories and inflict heavy casualties on the Japs.
Also in Johore, the Japs committed the first large scale atrocity of the campaign by torturing and massacring big numbers of POWs.
In summary, so far, LOTS of British and Aussies sacrificed their lives bravely in the fight against the Japs. So far, they di not fight poorly.
But the Japs were simply too well-armed, too tough, brave and their commanders too clever and ruthless when compared to the Brit HQ still stationed in the safety of Singapore - a million miles away from the fighting. -
Just have a few queries regarding these kind of books. Traditionally, I'd love to hammer through a couple of books like the ones mentioned above but sometimes the books can be really dry. Stuff like imagining divisions moving around without a map can really be boring. The particular language "acadlmish english" they use to write books like these doesn't help either. How does one over come issues as such? Secondly, what is your attitude when you read stuff like this, do you read it for fun or do you really hope to gain something out of it?
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I grew up in the most boringly peaceful period ever in the most boring country on earth.
I had to go to HK to see my first demonstration. In which I promptly took part. It was demonstrating against the Chinese government on the night of the Handover.
Though I served, I had no chance to see any action.
So how? Read military books loh...
If I really have to give an answer why I read them, it would be: for excitement and escape from daily life.
The English in most military books were never an obstacle unless of course, you are talking about WAR & PEACE by Tolstoy of sumpin...
Also...
As Singaporeans, we owe it to ourselves to know about the nation's past beyond the story of how some whacked out young prince gave us the name Singapura after smoking dope.
I am especially interested in books relating to Singapore, Israel, and our neighbourhood of Asia.
This book, Singapore Burning, is the best description of combat written by a non-participant that I've read, period.
Gripping accounts of the combat. Feel like you're there. In fact, it is not difficult to imagine yurself there as all the place names are familiar.
The author was also very immaculate in his details and his military knowledge is solid. He knows what planes, what bombs, what destructive force of what explosive. What does an AP shell does to a tank? Why does it not explode? What ammo the Lee-Enfield eats. The length of the bayonet. What revolvers the Brit officers prefer and why? He talked about the big picture but never forget about the small individual incidents of how, for example, one Brit officer got his head cut nearly claen off by a Jap officer, or how a Aussie sentry let a Jap intruder run into his bayonet one night etc etc.
WW2 was my parents' war and it completely fcuked up that generation's lives. My dad was conscripted into the Jap army during the occupation until surrender. So yeah, I do have a very strong interest in that era.