seaJane Posted 5 December , 2019 Share Posted 5 December , 2019 Reviewed here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/dec/05/fortress-great-siege-prezemsyl-alexander-watson-review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 6 December , 2019 Share Posted 6 December , 2019 (edited) Read a review in (I think) the Sunday Times, which was, to coin a phrase, effusive. £15.56 on Amazon. Edited 6 December , 2019 by Steven Broomfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 6 December , 2019 Share Posted 6 December , 2019 (edited) Steven, I have received a copy for review. It certainly lives up to the other review claims. Not mentioned in any of the reviews that I have seen is the books fascinating analysis and commentary on desperate state of the rackety Austrian-Hungarian military - incompetence at every level was total - the Hapsberg Empire as a whole and the slightly less, but only slightly less, of failures of the Russians. Equally rampant anti semitism in both nations is shown as a simple a precursor of Nazi treatment of Jews and Russians during WW2. I had not realised the depth of my ignorance about these matters until readying the elegantly written book - with notes and references which represent only slightly less than a quarter of the work. Regards David Edited 6 December , 2019 by David Filsell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 6 December , 2019 Share Posted 6 December , 2019 Hmmm ... I was tempted already ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 6 December , 2019 Share Posted 6 December , 2019 Go Fer yer life Steven! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyP Posted 7 December , 2019 Share Posted 7 December , 2019 In looking on Amazon (US), I see an edition of this book that was released October 2019, but there is also an edition to be released February 2020. The second one appears to be slightly longer. Does anyone know more about this? This book just went to the top of my "to buy" list! Fascinating subject but, to be honest, I was disappointed in Tunstall's book on Przemsyl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 7 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 7 December , 2019 The 2019 is the Allen Lane edition (UK) - 2020 from Basic Books (US). In my experience US hardbacks have slightly wider margins and maybe larger font, hence more pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyP Posted 8 December , 2019 Share Posted 8 December , 2019 Thanks, seaJane. I was assuming just a difference between US and UK versions, but wanted to find out for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 8 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 8 December , 2019 Thanks - I wouldn't call my idea proof, exactly; but if an educated guess will suffice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard_Lewis Posted 9 December , 2019 Share Posted 9 December , 2019 I read the glowing review... Tempted but so MANY books and such LITTLE time... Let's see if Santa brings me a book token. Bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 9 December , 2019 Share Posted 9 December , 2019 Temptation avoided can be pleasure lost!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James A Pratt III Posted 10 December , 2019 Share Posted 10 December , 2019 The author Alexander Watson has a presentation on this subject on youtube. I saw it last year the sound was poor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 19 March , 2020 Share Posted 19 March , 2020 I finished reading this a few weeks ago. It is excellent - as Mr Filsell comments, the insights of the Austro-Hungarian army (and Empire) are fascinating, and the utter incompetence of Conrad and his generals is stunning. A really, really good book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil andrade Posted 19 March , 2020 Share Posted 19 March , 2020 The very name of the place sounds like a prize piece of Yiddish slang . You’re pulling my Przemysl , ain’t yer ? In a more serious vein, it sounds like a horrific business : intense fighting and squalour, with atrocities and racial antagonism.....Verdun seems almost sanitised in comparison. I reckon I’m going to buy this. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegHannay Posted 19 March , 2020 Share Posted 19 March , 2020 Just browsing through the threads and found this one...and it reminded of an entry In my grandfathers diaries...7th Dec 1915 "A man was explaining to me the other day how to pronounce the name of that fortress "Przemysls" he said, "you don't sound the "P"at all, it is a silent P, like the "P" In "bathing"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jervis Posted 23 March , 2020 Share Posted 23 March , 2020 History extra Podcast of an interview with the author Jervis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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