A Merciless Place

I must confess upfront that this book covered a subject I knew little about. Once I had finished however that was far from true. Emma Christopher has written a book called A Merciless Place, and it deals with the British Empire’s attempt to send convicts to West Africa before Australia was colonised.
After the American Revolution, Britain needed somewhere to send its convicts and it settled on West Africa as the place. But the inhospitable terrain and weather, coupled with awful conditions and soldiers and convicts working in the slave-trade, led to disaster.
This is a story of bad decisions and some truly awful human beings leading to even worse outcomes. A Merciless Place chronicles a dark chapter in the history of colonisation, and also sheds new light onto the eventual colonisation of Australia.
Overall this is a great book that is well worth reading. It will shock in places but it will also make you feel pity for the individuals who had no choice but to be caught up in this experiment.

Christianity

Diarmaid MacCulloch has undertaken a massive task, which is to write a history of Christianity. The result is the large (all 1,161 pages of it) A History of Christianity. While the title may be unimaginative the book itself is very readable.

Like it or not, the history of the Christian Church is the history of the Western World and MacCulloch shows there is a lot to discuss. Especially when your book puts itself forward as a global history of Christianity. MacCulloch discusses the big events in Europe but also looks at Orthodox Christianity, the Church in Africa, the Americas and Asia.

There is a lot to get through in this book but anyone interested in the subject will find a well written book that is a comprehensive look at Christianity. Just don't expect a book that you can just pick up and skim through, the subject and the size does require some effort from the reader.

Gettysburg

The battle of Gettysburg is one of the decisive battles of the American Civil War. The Confederate forces led by General Lee had marched into Union territory and were threatening Baltimore and Pennsylvania. They would be brought to battle by the Army of the Potomac led by General Meade at a small town called Gettysburg.
Stephen Sears’ book Gettysburg is a detailed look at this important battle and the events leading up to it and after it. Sears describes the three days of hard fighting that took place and the mistakes made by both sides in the heat of battle. The one thing that stands out after reading this account is the amount of times important decisions had to be made with no were near complete information. Many times both sides had no real idea were the enemy forces were located, or if they were fighting how much of the enemy was engaged. The overall impression is of a group of people playing Marco Polo as they stumble around in the dark, and if they collide a battle starts.
Gettysburg is an absorbing read, Sears’ attention to detail comes through in the narrative and I found myself not wanting to put this book down. I feel I know a lot more about this important and bloody battle.

The Great Patriotic War

The Soviet Union's war with Nazi Germany is probably the most brutal and costly war the world has seen. Both sides committed vicious acts in order to win in a war were surrender was not an option. Chris Bellamy chronicles this struggle in Absolute War: Soviet Russia in the Second World War. With access to the Soviet archives that were opened after the collapse of the USSR, Bellamy is able to bring new light onto this conflict. This is also more than just a military history, it is also a social and political history. Bellamy covers topics as diverse as why the Soviet Union didn't collapse economically in 1942, the role of women in the USSR army, atomic bomb research and diplomatic battles with Great Britain.

It's good to read such a comprehensive study of the country that suffered the longest and did the most to win the Second World War. Bellamy has an easy reading style and this makes this interesting book fly by. Well worth reading.

Greece and Rome at War

I first discovered Peter Connolly as a child. I loved reading about Greek and Roman history, and here were a series of books that talked about their military history. Also the books had amazing artwork by the author that really brought the text to life. Re-reading the books now in the one volume collected edition I find that they are just as good as I remember.
Greece and Rome at War is by Peter Connolly a respected historian who also happens to be an amazing illustrator, and this second talent is what really sells the book. The book begins with the Greek army and talks about hoplites and phalanxs and how Greek military tactics developed. Next is the Roman Republic and its wars with the Carthaginians led famously in the Second Punic War by Hannibal. Finally Connolly discusses the Roman Empire and the role of the legionary. Accompanying these histories are the authors paintings of armour, weapons and maps of battles as well as paintings of various soldiers in their battle gear.

Overall this is a great read. You can marvel at the artwork while learning a lot about the armies of the various time periods described. This book also makes a great reference tool for wargamers trying to get a feel foe the period, or looking for ideas on how to paint their models.

Here's an example of a painting by Connolly showing Greek Hoplites in battle.

6th June

Antony Beevor has written a very readable account of the D-Day landings and the bloody battle for Normandy in his latest book D-Day. You might think that another book about WWII is redundant but Beevor has done a good job of making the material and sources seem fresh as he delves into the experiences of the soldiers and commanders on both sides.

Beevor starts by looking at the planning behind the invasion and the build up of forces before the big day. We are then shown how tough the landings were especially on the American side. The expansion of the beachhead and the gradual advance into the bocage make up the bulk of the narrative as Beevor gives us an insight into the tough and brutal fighting that developed. Beevor also looks at the tensions between commanders on both sides.

I like reading military history and have read I don't know how many books on the battle for Normandy, but I still enjoyed this new book. One for history fans and WWII buffs, or people looking for a very readable introduction to D-Day and what went on after it.

History

Harriet Harvey Wood has written an interesting and informative book which deals with the lead up to and aftermath of the battle of Hastings in The Battle of Hastings. The Fall of Anglo-Saxon England. Wood documents the events which led to William invading England, and why he won the eventual battle.

This was a complex time period in English history with multiple claims to the English throne after the death of Edward the Confessor, with William and Harold just two of many who believed they had good reason to be crowned king. It must be remembered that at this time England was quite a prize with an established legal system and untold wealth.

Woods writing style is very engaging as she examines different sources and weaves them into an interesting narrative. History buffs should get a kick out of this book, as would anyone hoping to find out more about this important part of English history.

A bit of history

If you're a fan of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels then Mark Urban's Rifles is for you. Instead of being fiction, Urban follows the 95th through six years of war, and puts you in the shoes of these legendary fighters.

The book mainly focuses on the campaign in Spain, and finishes with the battle of Waterloo. Using the letters, diaries and other writings of the soldiers themselves, Urban does a good job of showing the reader what it would have been like to fight with these men. The book also shows just how hard life in the ranks was, were casual brutality and a lack of proper provisions was the least of your worries.

Well worth picking up if you are interested in the Napoleonic Wars or want to know more about the inspiration for Sharpe.

Cortes the Killer

The Conquest of Mexico by Hugh Thomas is a doorstop of a book. But don't be put of by this, as he is a great writer who will make the pages fly by.

This particular book deals with the history of the Aztecs, and the coming of the Spanish and what happened after they landed. It is packed with detail, and shows the amount of research that Thomas undertook to write it.

The history of Mexico that this book covers is full of evocative names like Montezuma, Cortes, and El Dorado. This is a book full of sweeping history, told in a readable style.

Pirates of the Caribbean

1715 - 1725 was the period that pirates in the Caribbean had their greatest success. A number of pirate captains including Blackbeard, Black Sam Bellamy and Charles Vane joined forces to raid shipping on the high seas.

The republic they started was an amazing beast where there were no servants, everyone was equal no matter what their skin colour and leaders were chosen by a vote. Compared to the societies these pirates had escaped from this must have seemed like paradise.

Colin Woodard has written an interesting and informative account of this period called The Republic of Pirates. Woodard has done a fantastic amount of research and it shows in the authority he brings to his subject.

Anyone interested in pirates or this period of history will enjoy this book.

Shiver me timbers!

As a boy pirates always captured my imagination. They were colourful, violent, bad and cool in so many ways. Having just read Peter Earle's The Pirate Wars I realise they were cooler and badder than I could have imagined.

Pirates had an interesting history and mythology and it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between them, but Earle does an admirable (wink, wink) job all the same. Pirates were the scourge of the sea and lived very violent lives, either being chased or hired by various governments in Europe. Yet they were also one of the most democratic institutions on the planet, every one on the ship got to vote on who was to be captain, this included women if they were part of the crew, and there are examples of female pirates.

So find a copy of this look at the golden years of pirating and enjoy a slice of the nasty side of history.

Ancient History

For those of you who like their history fast paced and readable you can't go past Terry Jones' Barbarians. Jones has come a long way since being a member of Monty Python and has written a number of books on history.

Jones looks at popular history and then explores some of the facts about different barbarians, and shows that they were not all as uncivilised as we are led to believe. It is funny how most of the information we have on various barbarians comes from the people they were fighting, the Romans. Of course the Romans were not above changing the facts to make themselves look good.

Each chapter looks at a different barbarian tribe and are quite short so it is the type of book you can delve into at different times. I enjoyed reading this a lot and plan on investigating some more of Jones' work.

This book started life as a TV series written by Jones, but I have not seen it so can't comment on it. I have seen bad reviews of it though. On the other hand I think the book is great.

De Ja Vu

I have been reading The First Crusade by Thomas Asbridge and I have been struck by how similar different historical events can be. The conflict between 'the West' and 'Islam' is old and this book highlights the fact that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Is there really much difference between the Pope in the 12th Century calling for the return of the Holy Lands to Christianity, and the current political machinations involving the USA and militant Islam? Asbridge is an engaging writer, and I found myself flying through this book as it builds to its climax. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I was still caught up in the drama of the story and Asbridge's narrative. A book to make you think, as well as enjoy.