armourersergeant Posted 24 September , 2004 Share Posted 24 September , 2004 Having just recieved 'Command on the Western Front' by Prior and Wilson I was rather pleased to see that Pen and Sword are releasing a copy of 'Fire Power' by Bidwell and Graham at the end of October 2004. This book is long out of print and normally you can only get a copy at £150. odd on abebooks. dreaming but it is real Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Moretti Posted 28 September , 2004 Share Posted 28 September , 2004 What does this book cover? I have read a similarly titled book by Phil Warner (I think), and it covered just that (infantry/artillery firepower) up to the end of the Napoleonic era. If this is similar but more 20th-century I will definitely look out for it (my P&S collection is slowly but steadily growing, and I am always looking for a good excuse to add to it ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 28 September , 2004 Author Share Posted 28 September , 2004 It is regarded as a classic of the more modern books covering tatics and command on the western front. It was written over twenty years ago I beleive but it has still to be bettered or proved not relevant. There have been others like Paddy Griffiths 'Battle Tatics' and i think that Gary Sheffield has something hitting the shelfs soon, but it is from this book that many of the modern writers take their lead. Or atleast that is my perception from what i have been told. Have yet to read it as a copy is like rocking horse poo. Until now. regards Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 28 September , 2004 Share Posted 28 September , 2004 Justin - an adition to Arm's description, taken from the trade catalogue: This is, without doubt, the finest book about the crucial role that artillery played in the two World Wars of the 20th Century. The authors, both former artillery officers who saw action in World war Two, describe the development of their neglected, inadequate and class-ridden arm through the battles of the First World War and the eventual war-winning role that artillery played, to the culmination of professional military deployment in the Second Word War. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock Bruce Posted 28 September , 2004 Share Posted 28 September , 2004 Oh joy!!! I've had to rely on a library copy (fortunately blessed by access to a decent library). This is one of the ur-texts of a serious study (i.e. Oh What a Lovely War and Blackadder are not documentaries) of WW1. Hurrah!! JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Moretti Posted 8 October , 2004 Share Posted 8 October , 2004 And fortunately I am blessed by access to a decent librarian (namely my OH)! SO... I have put the book in as a "request to purchase" at the university library where she works (and from which she happily consents to borrow ) along with relevant paraphrasing of all the cool things you lot have said about it! As they teach 'history of war', I am sure that my acquisition request will be heeded (and if it's really that good, I'll buy my own copy...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Moretti Posted 13 January , 2005 Share Posted 13 January , 2005 Grizzle, grizzle... Still not available!!!! Oh well, plenty to keep me happy in the meantime... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 13 January , 2005 Author Share Posted 13 January , 2005 Got mine for xmas Arm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Moretti Posted 25 June , 2005 Share Posted 25 June , 2005 Finally got mine about a month ago. Ordered and bought. The library (not its fault - but that of the book supplier!) still doesn't have its copy... I think this book was fantastic, especially for its exploration of the way in which proper artillery organisation (or lack thereof) won (or lost) battles, the state of the Royal Artillery between the wars, and the social and psychological factors which hindered the development and competence of the arm in peacetime. In war, there is no place for anti-intellectual snobbery: you either evolve your techniques or you are transformed into a small cloud of blood and mincemeat. It was worth the wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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