Churchill’s Wrens and the Y Service in World War II.

There seems to be a huge uplift in books written about sneaky beaky activities from World War 2. This is a book isn’t written about code breaking station at Bletchley Park which has already been made famous by a number of films and books.

But this book answers a different question. Where on earth did code breaking stations get the messages in the first place?

The answer is the Y Service.

Hundreds of wireless operators, many of them who were civilians, listened to German, Italian and Japanese radio networks and meticulously logged everything they heard. Some messages were then used tactically but most were sent on to Station X – Bletchley Park – where they were deciphered, translated and consolidated to build a comprehensive overview of the enemy’s movements and intentions.

The author focuses on the Women’s Royal Naval Service who became members of the Y Service and sheds light on the impact these wireless operators had on the outcome of battles and helped find the Bismarck and countless other actions.

Having read mainly about the combat elements of war, these intelligence gathering activities were clearly vital to the war effort. It is a shame, it is only know we are hearing more and more stories about the activities of these women.

It is a great engaging read and shows the length they went to in order to intercept signals and messages. It really does highlight stuff we don’t just think about.

You can buy the book here from Pen and Sword books.

Please note I was not paid to write this review but was sent a review copy of the book. All comments are my own, and the publishers have not amended the review in any way.

A photographic album of the the First World War’s greatest ace – Manfred Von Richthofen.

you only have to mention the German Airforce in World War 1 and everyone will know the Red Baron. Must be kind of annoying for the other 7,000 members of the German airforce.

This is more than just a picture book though and tells a pictorial story of the Red Baron, not just with his exploits of France and Belgium but his early career as a reconnaissance pilot on both fronts.

The sheer number of pictures available does suggest to me, he was used as as propaganda but that said you cant take away he shot down 80 allied planes. What staggers me in appendix one, is a full list of his confirmed victories with who he shot down, when and with what plane he used.

It does feel like this is a return to Knights and Chivalry – Aerial combat being seen as Tournaments or duels – I guess this is whey they were called Knights of the Sky. But again all of this could have been cooked up as propaganda.

This is a must for anyone interested in The Red Baron and aerial combat of World War 1. There will be plenty of new photos that will not have seen before, I am sure. It is a very interesting topic and the book does revisiting.

The photos of his burial with full military honours by the Allies also goes a long way to show the respect these pilots had.

You can buy the book here from Pen and Sword books.

Please note I was not paid to write this review but was sent a review copy of the book. All comments are my own, and the publishers have not amended the review in any way.

The books title is quite misleading.  This is not simply a book of equipment.

The book is broken down into chapters based on the formation of the British airborne forces in 1940 and each chapter looks at a major campaign where airborne forces were deployed.

Each chapter has a large number of photos showing equipment and the uniforms used, and shows the evolution of equipment required.

This is a great book for reenactors looking to portray airborne servicemen and will provide the ability to help them portray specific campaigns during WW2.

The narrative in the book covers most of the main campaigns of the war but specifically from the airborne perspective.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking at learning about the parachute regiment and airborne forces evolution in World War 2.

You can buy the book here from Pen and Sword books.

Please note I was not paid to write this review but was sent a review copy of the book. All comments are my own, and the publishers have not amended the review in any way.

The Lost Samurai reveals the story that for almost a hundred years Japanese samurai were employed as mercenaries in the service of the kings of Siam, Cambodia, Burma, Spain and Portugal, as well as by the directors of the Dutch East India Company.

The Japanese samurai were used in dramatic assault parties, as royal bodyguards, as staunch garrisons and as willing executioners. As a result, a stereotypical image of the fierce Japanese warrior developed that had a profound influence on the way they were regarded by their employers.

The book also suggests that if during the 1630s, Japan had chosen to engage with Southeast Asia rather than isolate from it, the presence of Japanese communities overseas may have had a profound influence on the subsequent development of international relations within the area, perhaps even seeing the early creation of an overseas Japanese empire that would have provided a rival to Great Britain.  I guess we will never know but it is an interesting thought.

The book covers the period of 1593 to 1688.  I was surprised to learn Japanese samurai as mercenaries for foreign powers. The first seemingly to be Korea, a country Japan invaded at the start of this period.  That said the author does clarify that it might not be the traditional image of a samurai we see working as mercenaries. They would most likely have been pirates or working as merchants for their overlords how didn’t value them.

I can see how working for foreign powers and heads of state would have been appealing.

This is a fascinating read and something that warrants further investigation.  If you are interested in the martial cultures of Japan and the samurai, this is an excellent book to give you a very different set of stories.

For me, it has slightly changed my opinion of the Japanese warrior of the period.  And made them even more complicated.

And for those that know – yes I have ignored the shocking sword drawing on the cover.

You can buy the book here from Pen and Sword books.

Please note I was not paid to write this review but was sent a review copy of the book. All comments are my own, and the publishers have not amended the review in any way.