BOOKSHELF MAY 2024

Title: Czechoslovak Armies 1939-45

Author: Nigel Thomas PhD

Publisher: Osprey, Oxford

ISBN: 9781472856852

Price: £12.99

When Hitler seized Czechoslovakia, together with its factories, in 1939, he gained weapons such as the LT.vz 35 tank, which would become the Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) in the German army. At the time, the Czechoslovakian army was well organised, something that the author explains as he describes the formation of each unit, which included infantry, armour, artillery, engineers and even a veterinary service for the horses. It was an impressive force, and after the country was annexed, many thousands of these well-trained soldiers made their way west to finally serve with the British army. These men would be trained and equipped with British kit and weapons and go on to serve in theatres of war including the Middle and Far East, Italy, and north-west Europe. The fighting prowess of the Czechoslovakian army, with its history stretching back many centuries, was never doubted, as readers will discover in this finely structured book.

Title: The War of 1812

Author: Carl Benn

Publisher: Osprey, Oxford

ISBN: 9781472858566

Price: £12.99

The year covered in this book was a time when the Napoleonic wars in Europe were at their height. Meanwhile, America was also making trouble for Britain by threatening Canada, as this welcome reprint in the Essential History series reminds a new generation of readers. Sadly, the 1812 war in America is a subject which has become overshadowed by Napoleon’s decision to attack Russia in that year. America was still a nascent country at the time, yet here it is only 29 years after winning its independence, once more fighting against its former governing country. It will come as a surprise for some readers to learn that for almost three years Britain was engaged in a war on two fronts, as it fought American forces on land and at sea, as well as Napoleon in Europe. The author explains each stage of the war concisely in this well-appointed work, which will appeal to students and war gamers.

Title: Sniping Rifles in the War Against Japan 1941-45

Author: John Walter

Publisher: Osprey, Oxford

ISBN: 9781472858320

Price: £15.99

Sniping in WWII required patience and concentration, and never more so than during the war in the Pacific after 1941. After WWI, armies began to understand the full value of sniping, with training to teach the skills necessary to produce a good sniper. That aspect is covered in this highly illustrated work, which considers each of the nationalities in turn. Shooting enthusiasts can become absorbed with the subject of sniping, and this book provides lots of good information, some of it familiar and some very fresh. The obvious candidates are here, such as the Springfield M1903A4, Japanese Type 97, and the British heavy barrel SMPL No 1 MKIII*(HT). Then there are the less obvious such as the Johnson M1941 rifle, with its terrible reputation, and the Winchester Model 70. Ammunition is discussed along with sight units and methods of mounting. The detailed cutaway schematic diagrams are superb references, guaranteed to please collectors and shooters alike.

Title: The German Infantryman on the Eastern Front

Authors: Simon Forty and Richard Charlton-Taylor

Publisher: Casemate, Oxford

ISBN: 9781636243610

Price: £24.95

This book is only 126 pages, but packed into those pages is more information than many books three or four times the size. Facts, figures, dates, and details fill each page of this exhaustively researched work, along with photographs, artwork, and charts of specifications. This work is the accompanying title to The Soviet Infantryman on the Eastern Front, also by Simon Forty, and together they say everything about the war in Russia from 1941. From horses to sniping, the capabilities of Germany’s allies in the campaign, to transport and logistics, it can all be found in this single volume. The main battles such as Stalingrad and Bagration are covered, as are other, less well-known events, such as the ‘pockets’ of Cherkassy and Courland. Add this title, along with The Soviet Infantryman, to your library of reference books and you will not regret the purchase of two very fine books.