Sicily 43 – James Holland 
James Holland is simply a master historian and storyteller. This account of the Allies landing and taking Sicily, as seen from both sides, makes gripping reading. It is almost un-put-downable… even though we already know how the story ends! It’s also a good antidote to the view of the Sicily campaign as portrayed in the movie ‘Patton’.
Hitler’s Spyplane over Normandy 44 – Philippe Bauduin 
So, it goes like this: at the beginning of Aug 1944, Luftwaffe pilot Erich Sommers was regularly flying undetected over the beaches of Normandy at 29,500ft (900 m) in his Arado 234 jet, snapping away with his photo-reconnaissance cameras. I didn’t know this till I stumbled across this book – well, I’m sure not many people did, after all he was ‘undetected’!
This book is photo-rich and fascinating. It covers the development of the Arado 234, its operations, its pilots, its main base at Juvincourt, and the post-war efforts of the Americans to get the German jets back to the USA to study them. There are many photos taken by the pilots themselves at their airbases, and many of the reconnaissance photos they took.
I do take minor issue with the book’s sub-title: ‘The world’s first jet’. It wasn’t. The world’s first jet to fly was the Heinkel HE 178 . The world’s first operational jet was the Messerschmitt ME 262. The Arado 234 was the world’s first operational jet bomber.
The Man Who Broke Napoleon’s Codes: The Story of George Scovell
I stumbled across this book by Mark Urban (yes, that Mark Urban – the Diplomatic Editor for BBC 2’s Newsnight), and found myself absolutely engrossed in it.
George Scovell turns out to be a 19th century version of Alan Turing. By cracking and part-cracking the codes that Napoleon and his generals used to communicate during the Peninsula War, he was able to steer his boss Arthur Wellesley, the Earl (at that point in his career) of Wellington, towards victory in such crucial engagements as the Battle of Salamanca 1812.
It has made me want to re-visit parts of Portugal & Spain to ‘walk the history’.
D-Day to Victory – Sgt Trevor Greenwood
The edited compilation of tank commander Trevor Greenwood. It’s a day-by-day account of his war experiences, which for the most part, were pretty non-eventful. There are just a couple of intense moments, but it’s an interesting read because it gets across the realities of war, and the things that matter to a soldier. First & foremost, mail! Practically every post mentions it. Either ‘no mail’ or 2 letters from his girlfriend, and how many he has written. Second, waiting. He and his troop are always waiting for orders to advance or take on a mission, and when they get them, they are nearly always cancelled at the last minute. Third, food, shelter and civilians. Trevor’s condition is nearly always cold, wet and hungry, except when billeted with civilians who are keen to do anything they can for their liberators.
