Book Review - Command by Al Murray

Hello There! I had received this book as a Christmas present from my partner. 

I listen to 'We Have Ways of Making You Talk' which is the WW II podcast Al Murray co hosts with James Holland and have heard that this was going to be published.

I didn't really know what to expect at first but was pleasantly surprised with the easy reading content.

The chapters cover Montgomery, Freyberg, Tuker, Wingate, Slim, Bradley, Patton, Pearson, Hobart and Peter White.

Each Chapter covers some of the character and personality of each person and then goes into a specific difficulty they faced during their period of command.

Montgomery tackles the problem of venereal disease affecting the troops. This was a serious problem with the fighting men and dealing with it was made more difficult due to the public sensibility of talking and accepting such things.

Montgomery accepted that when men are away from home they will find their 'pleasures' where they can and that this will put them at risk of being infected.

Due to the coarseness of Montgomery's character he repeatedly gets himself in trouble with those up the chain of command because he ruffles peoples indignation and inability to deal with the subject.

Despite this he insists that every man who is not able to fight due to having an avoidable disease is helping the enemy.

Each chapter has a similar exploration of each subjects unique situation and ranges from the above to a change in the style of fighting in unfamiliar environment.

The last chapter describes the experiences of a man in the front line, in the closing months of the war in Europe, and the effects of some of the judgements of those above him in relations to the frontline.

Overall it was n easy read and a good introduction to to each commander. I read a chapter a night before sleeping and it did not require a thorough understanding of any person beforehand. 

There were a number of rhetorical questions and 'tongue in cheek comments' which did make you think, 'Why did that subject do that?' There must have been a more tactful way of doing or saying that but that is from the point of hindsight.

I have taken great delight in my profession of imitating the proverbial 'Bowling ball through a plate glass window' myself. Sometimes it is to gain attention and effect, when other methods have failed and other times it is to show those above that they are plainly wrong, as they will not listen to me.

Overall it was a pleasurable read and I do recommend it.

Book Review - Surtees of the 95th Rifles

Hello There! I have finished reading my latest book. It was bedtime reading and it proved an interesting read!

The book describes the experiences of William Surtees who started off serving in the militia, then the 56th regiment and then on the end of his enlistment joined the 95th Rifles. He became the Quarter Master Sergeant.

He served in Holland, Bremen, Denmark and the Peninsular. The book starts with his enlistment into the 56th Regiment and finishes when he returns to England after Napoleons first abdication.

In the Peninsular he was involved in the Corunna Campaign, Barrosa, just missed the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo, was present at the siege and storming of Badajoz, where he lost friends in the fighting, present at Vittoria, Vera and a number of other skirmishes in the Pyrenees.

He eventually received a commission and became paymaster of the Battalion.

The book gives a good idea of the contempt that the British Army held for the Spanish and Portuguese soldiers and civilians. However there are many favourable mentions of Portuguese troops in battle.

A point of local interest for me was that his unit landed at Great Yarmouth twice during his career.

Once ater serving in Holland and marching through Norwich and another in October 1805 after campaigning in Bremen from October 1806 to February 1806. He landed in Great Yarmouth and marched through Lowestoft to Woodbridge, where his battalion was barracked.

The narration was clear and included many 'adventures' and casual references to the more notorious behaviour of the British army in the Peninsular.

This was an easy book to keep returning to and did not need a map to continually make sense of the narrative.

If you wanted to look at some of the more less glorious actions of the Army, which was none the less important, then I can recommend this book.