Spartacus Review

Volume 1: 1st October, 2007

Second World War

Title: VE Day: The People's Story

Author: Russell Miller

Editor:

Publisher: Tempus

Price: £18.99

Bookshop: Amazon

Spartacus Website: VE Day

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This inspiring book draws from first-hand interviews, diaries and memoirs of those involved in the VE Day celebrations in 1945. It paints an enthralling picture of a day that marked the end of the war in Europe and the beginning of a new era. VE Day affected millions of people in countless ways. This book records a sample of those views, from both Britain and abroad, from civilians and service men and women, from the famous and the not-so-famous, in order to provide a moving story and a valuable social picture of the times. Mixed with humour as well as tragedy, rejoicing as well as sadness, regrets of the past and hopes for the future, "VE Day: The People's Story" is an inspiring record of one of the great turning points in history.

Title: Slim's Burma Boys

Author: John Hill

Editor:

Publisher: Spellmount

Price: £18.99

Bookshop: Amazon

Spartacus Website: William Slim

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"Slim's Burma Boys" relates the personal experiences of men who fought the "Forgotten War" of the Burma campaign. Hill wanted his readers to know what it was like to be there and with this in mind he selected a variety of operations and events from B Company of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Berkshire Regiment, which he commanded. He was one of the only men to survive the border crossing into Burma. The Company earned two Military Crosses, a Distinguished Conduct Medal, four Military Medals, and a mention in Despatches. Hill conveys the intensity of involvement in the action, experiencing the adrenaline rush as well as the fear and courage of those who took part in swollen river crossings, patrols, ambushes, skirmishes and major actions against a ruthless and determined enemy who would never surrender. His memoir is of general interest as well as a fitting memoir to his men and should be prescribed reading for all would-be officers and soldiers.

Title: A World at Arms

Author: Gerhard L. Weinberg

Editor:

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Price: £18.99

Bookshop: Amazon

Spartacus Website: Second World War Index

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This major work is the first general history of World War II to be based both on the existing literature and on extensive work in British, American and German archives. It covers all the theatres of war, the weaponry used, and developments on the home front. Taking a global perspective, the work deals with all belligerents and relates events in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific to each other. The role of diplomacy and strategy, of intelligence and espionage, and the impact of war upon society are all dealt with, often on the basis of hitherto unknown material. New light is shed on the actions of great and small powers and on topics ranging from the beginning of the war to the dropping of the atomic bombs; the titanic battles on the Eastern Front are fitted into the war as a whole; the killing of six million Jews and millions of other civilians is placed into context; and the fighting at sea and in the air is included in a coherent view of the great conflict.

Title: Eating for Victory

Author: Jill Norman

Editor:

Publisher: Michael O'Mara

Price: £9.99

Bookshop: Amazon

Spartacus Website: The Home Front

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A beautifully packaged and wonderfully nostalgic collection of war-time leaflets, presented in full colour. The period of wartime food rationing is now regarded as a time when the nation was at its healthiest. Food rationing was introduced in January 1940 after food shipments were attacked by German U-boat ‘Wolf Packs’ and everything from butter and sugar to fish and jam were rationed. The leaflets reproduced in Eating for Victory were distributed by the Ministry of Food and advised the general public on how to cope with these shortages. As a result of the stringent rules put in place during wartime, people began to eat more healthily than ever before. Eating for Victory is a great gift book and not only does it offer a nostalgic look back at one of the hardest and yet perhaps healthiest times in history, but it is also a relevant guide on healthy eating for today.