Page 49 - Australian Defence Magazine September 2018

www.militarybooksaustralia.wordpress.com
COMPILED BY PETER MASTERS | BRISBANE
ALONE
BRITAIN, CHURCHILL AND DUNKIRK: DEFEAT INTO VICTORY
By Michael Korda Published by Liveright; Dist. by Wiley
RRP $42.95 in hardcover ISBN 9781631491320 Given the recent releases of the films, Dunkirk and Darkest Hour, this excellent book by Michael Korda
is quite opportune. The evacuation of over 300,000 soldiers from the beaches at Dunkirk was a turning point in the seemingly inevitable march of the
SNIPERS AT WAR
AN EQUIPMENT AND OPERATIONS HISTORY By John Walter Published by Big Sky Publishing
RRP $34.99 in hardcover ISBN 9781925675092
In the preface to this book, John Walter recounts the challenges he faced in what he initially imagined would be a simple task - to collate existing information into a single source on this topic. Even the briefest glance at this book tells us that this topic is complex and multi- faceted. Walter describes
Nazis. The battle of Britain which followed is often quoted as the pivotal
event in the war but if the soldiers had not escaped Dunkirk, British morale would have collapsed. With their return, Britain could fight on. Part memoir, part history, Korda recounts his experiences as a young
lad living through these times in England. He quite rightly praises Churchill for his inspiring leadership, particularly following the ignominious resignation of Neville Chamberlain. Korda also gives due credit to Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay who was the architect of the ‘little boats’ rescue mission. Unlike the way it is depicted in the movie, Darkest Hour, this plan had been on the drawing board for some weeks prior to the actual event. Despite the loss of nearly 70,000 men, the evacuation was a triumph.
in considerable detail the evolution of equipment
used by marksmen, noting that it was the invention of the optical sight, first used widely in the American Civil War, that improved accuracy. Apart from the detailed analysis of the evolution of the equipment, there are some impressive sniper statistics demonstrating what can be achieved by outstanding marksmen.
Finn Simo Häyhä, recalled
to active service from his family farm in the winter war of 1939-40, amassed 505 kills in less than 100 days, a lesson learned by the Red Army to its cost. Häyhä’s fieldcraft, writes Walter, was “impeccable” with virtually all of his kills achieved
with an open-sighted rifle. Post-WWII conflicts have given new impetus not only to sniping but also to the development of new and more effective weaponry.
MONASH’S MASTERPIECE
THE BATTLE OF LE HAMEL AND THE 93 MINUTES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
By Peter FitzSimons Published by Hachette Australia
RRP $35.00 in paperback ISBN 9780733640087
Many years ago, I reviewed an earlier FitzSimons
book (Tobruk) and wrote, “those expecting to read
a detailed history of the battle will be disappointed”. As Fitzsimons himself
says of his work: “I want
my history books to read
THE LAST 100 DAYS
THE AUSTRALIAN ROAD TO VICTORY IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR
By Will Davies Published by Penguin Random House
RRP $34.99 in paperback ISBN 9780143784968 This book begins in November 1917 when the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia. By December 1917, the newly formed Russian government had signed an armistice with Germany, allowing 60 German divisions to be relocated from the Eastern
like novels”. Fast forward
to this latest tome from FitzSimons and it’s clear
he has once again strayed into the ‘faction’, which explains why his military history books attract the ire of certain military historians and yet are beloved by the general reading public. The battle of Hamel in July 1918 was, by WWI standards, relatively short (93 minutes) but it did give the newly installed Australian Corps Commander, General John Monash the opportunity
to plan and execute the battle without interference. However I am not convinced by the claim that the battle “changed the course of warfare and shortened the war”. Monash certainly illustrated how a co- ordinated use o infantry, tanks, artillery and air power could bring speedy results. But the Germans were far from beaten at that time.
to the Western front. Emboldened by this increase in manpower, the German High Command launched
a major offensive in March 1918, the ‘last throw of the dice’. The German aim
was to capture the city of Amiens which housed a major Allied supply centre. Davies charts the succession of battles which followed and in particular those battles involving Australian forces. The Battle of Hamel, in July 1918, was the first opportunity for the Allies
to strike back. Davies then charts the Australians’ advance up the Somme valley, across the river
to Mont St Quentin and Peronne, and finally to the Hindenburg Line. Many Australians were recognised for their bravery during this time. Then, quite suddenly, the war was over. Davies has a rare gift for storytelling.
www.australiandefence.com.au | September 2018 | 49