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debithaThe First World War is sometimes referred to as the Last Gentlemen's War. It was the last war of Imperial alliances, not least of all because it was the end of many of the Empires involved. It also held the seeds of what made the Second World War different from anything that had come before it. Not so much the technology - the tanks, bigger and better guns, aerial warfare - but the mentality. WW1 saw the germination of ideas about camouflage and disguise and propaganda, making things seem different than they really are. World War Two was a battle of wits.
The synopsis for this begins, "The story of how the British really won two world wars - by conning the Kaiser, hoaxing Hitler and using brains to outwit brawn. By June 1940, most of Europe had fallen to the Nazis and Britain stood alone. To protect itself, the nation fell back on cunning and camouflage. With Winston Churchill in charge, the British bluffed their way out of trouble - lying, pretending and dressing up in order to survive."
It's interesting stuff, the flip-side to the noble-hero stereotype that's floating around (normally originating from wartime propaganda films). It's split into two sections - WW1 and WW2. The book is broad in scope, covering most aspects of both wars, which gives an overview of the geography of it which I've not been able to get before. I have just never been able to put the trenches of Passchendaele together in my head with Lawrence of Arabia before. They just wouldn't go together. Rankin has a good grasp of it all, and puts it togther well.
The problem I had, particularly with the first part, was that he seemed a little uncertain of what he was trying to achieve with the book. It's part (engagingly written) history text, and part character study. He tries to bring the individuals involved to life with lots of contemporary anecdotes, but sometimes it just clunks. There is an exchange in which one of the early camoufleurs[sp?] falls in a puddle on the front while setting up a test. An officer laughs at him, and he thinks of what his children would say to see their dignified old Dad covered in icy mud from head to toe. The end. Seriously, what was added by that? It became clear when he got to WW2 that this was the period he was familiar with. Everything started flowing better from there.
The whole thing is a fascinating tale of spies and double agents, and epic bluffs, and trying to explain to some idiot officer that the point of camouflage is not to hide a thing but to make it look as though it's not there at all. The really interesting thing that comes out of WW2 is that it was as much as anything a bizarre mix of cat'n'mouse and poker, every player trying to misdirect the other, while second-guessing the players on the other side, right from the start - Germany didn't just invade Poland. It faked a Polish attack on a German outpost to justify invading Poland. After that, it was all on.
On the whole, I would recommend this as a fairly in depth look into a fascinating subject. Just be a bit patient with WW1. He's getting there.
NB: That whole "dressing up in order to survive" thing? The guy was captured in drag. No explanation was ever actually given for that. The whole thing eventually blew over, with no one the wiser as to precisely why he was turned out in a nice dress, heels, gloves, etc. I think I like it better that way. :o)
The Prince - Machiavelli
The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden - Morgan Spurlock
Personal Demon - Kelley Armstrong
An Utterly Impartial History of Britain - John O'Farrell
The Lantern Bearers - Rosemary Sutcliffe
Small Favour - Jim Butcher
Lean Mean Thirteen - Janet Evanovich
The Incredulity of Father Brown - GK Chesterton
Tithe - Holly Black
Red Seas Under Red Skies - Scott Lynch
The Mark of the Horse Lord - Rosemary Sutcliffe
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling
Freakonomics - Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner
A Snowball in Hell - Christopher Brookmyre
Churchill's Wizards - Nicholas Rankin
The Consolations of Philosophy - Alain de Botton
The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television - Stephen Pinker
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Fool Moon - Jim Butcher
First Among Sequels - Jasper Fforde
The synopsis for this begins, "The story of how the British really won two world wars - by conning the Kaiser, hoaxing Hitler and using brains to outwit brawn. By June 1940, most of Europe had fallen to the Nazis and Britain stood alone. To protect itself, the nation fell back on cunning and camouflage. With Winston Churchill in charge, the British bluffed their way out of trouble - lying, pretending and dressing up in order to survive."
It's interesting stuff, the flip-side to the noble-hero stereotype that's floating around (normally originating from wartime propaganda films). It's split into two sections - WW1 and WW2. The book is broad in scope, covering most aspects of both wars, which gives an overview of the geography of it which I've not been able to get before. I have just never been able to put the trenches of Passchendaele together in my head with Lawrence of Arabia before. They just wouldn't go together. Rankin has a good grasp of it all, and puts it togther well.
The problem I had, particularly with the first part, was that he seemed a little uncertain of what he was trying to achieve with the book. It's part (engagingly written) history text, and part character study. He tries to bring the individuals involved to life with lots of contemporary anecdotes, but sometimes it just clunks. There is an exchange in which one of the early camoufleurs[sp?] falls in a puddle on the front while setting up a test. An officer laughs at him, and he thinks of what his children would say to see their dignified old Dad covered in icy mud from head to toe. The end. Seriously, what was added by that? It became clear when he got to WW2 that this was the period he was familiar with. Everything started flowing better from there.
The whole thing is a fascinating tale of spies and double agents, and epic bluffs, and trying to explain to some idiot officer that the point of camouflage is not to hide a thing but to make it look as though it's not there at all. The really interesting thing that comes out of WW2 is that it was as much as anything a bizarre mix of cat'n'mouse and poker, every player trying to misdirect the other, while second-guessing the players on the other side, right from the start - Germany didn't just invade Poland. It faked a Polish attack on a German outpost to justify invading Poland. After that, it was all on.
On the whole, I would recommend this as a fairly in depth look into a fascinating subject. Just be a bit patient with WW1. He's getting there.
NB: That whole "dressing up in order to survive" thing? The guy was captured in drag. No explanation was ever actually given for that. The whole thing eventually blew over, with no one the wiser as to precisely why he was turned out in a nice dress, heels, gloves, etc. I think I like it better that way. :o)
The Prince - Machiavelli
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden - Morgan Spurlock
Personal Demon - Kelley Armstrong
The Lantern Bearers - Rosemary Sutcliffe
Small Favour - Jim Butcher
Lean Mean Thirteen - Janet Evanovich
The Incredulity of Father Brown - GK Chesterton
Tithe - Holly Black
Red Seas Under Red Skies - Scott Lynch
The Mark of the Horse Lord - Rosemary Sutcliffe
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling
Freakonomics - Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner
A Snowball in Hell - Christopher Brookmyre
The Consolations of Philosophy - Alain de Botton
The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television - Stephen Pinker
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Fool Moon - Jim Butcher
First Among Sequels - Jasper Fforde