History buffs rejoice
Charles Spencer
Weidenfeld and Nicholson
368 pages, $60

No battle: A good history read.

WRITTEN by Charles Spencer, Oxford scholar and brother to Lady Diana, Princess of Wales, Blenheim: Battle for Europe is the story of how Spencer’s ancestor, John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, and the German Prince Eugène of Savoy stopped Louis XIV’s plans to control the whole of Western Europe.

The bloody reign of Louis, the Sun King, produced the expansion of France and the defeat of the Low Countries, culminating in a push to unseat the Habsburg Empire in the East.

By 1704, the scene was set for a climactic battle, the outcome of which would decide the map of Europe.

Louis’ army had been undefeated in nearly 40 years and it looked invincible.

In command were the French Marshals Tallard and Marsin, allied to Maxmilian, the Elector of Bavaria. They commanded a combined standing army of more than 60,000 men.

Marlborough and Eugène’s armies were evenly numbered and on August 13, 1704, the scene was set. The two armies clashed north-west of the German town of Blenheim.

The day’s combat saw Marlborough victorious and Europe saved from conquest. The Battle of Blenheim changed the course of history.

The book is very well written and enjoyable to read, but lacks a map showing the battle
positions – an unfortunate omission.

Illustrated with 19 photographs of key protagonists in the centrepiece, the hardcover book is printed on quality paper.
A good read if you are interested in history and European affairs. Recommended.

– AIRCDRE Mark Lax

Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the US Army
Kayla Williams
Weidenfeld and Nicholson
290 pages, $45

Love my rifle more than you.

WORKING in a male-dominated environment can be an unusual experience.

But you know it won’t be easy when you sign on the dotted line. As equitable an environment as Defence is, crazy stuff can still go on, and probably goes on in Defence departments around the world.

Williams’ book deals with all the situations you’d expect a female in her 20s to go through, including dealing with hormonal young guys and power-hungry SNCOs who would be nobodies in the civvy world.

Her book covers recruit training, language and intelligence training and her 12-month deployment to Iraq.

She writes of the boredom and rewards of the operation, long hours on picket and duty, and difficulties in dealing with locals and other US soldiers.

The book is very easy to read and gives a bit of insight into a Middle East deployment.

– LT Simone Heyer

Merde Actually
Stephen Clarke
Random House
411 pages, $23.95

Merde Actually

“ARE there any clean clothes in the house?” I asked Florence. “Ah, oui.”

She went off to the wardrobe in her mum’s room and returned with a grey t-shirt and the most unpleasant pair of trousers I’d ever seen in my life.

They had an elasticated waist and were made out of a blue and orange check material decorated with fist-sized red flowers. Florence picked up on my lack of enthusiasm.

“They’re African,” she said. “So is the Ebola virus,” I replied.”

Merde Actually is the follow up to Clarke’s bestseller, A Year in the Merde, and is the delightful tale of an Englishman’s attempts at setting up a traditional English tea house on the Champs Elysee in Paris.

From erotic zucchinis to rusty bicycles and runny cheese, Clarke will have you laughing as he bumbles his way through the language as he crosses the continent in search of true love and business success. A perfect light read.

– Rachel Irving

Saved by Angels
Clemency Morony
Lexington Avenue Press
89 pages, $45

Saved by Angels

SAVED by Angels is the World War II journey of Australian soldier Arthur Pratt, who was saved by the ‘fuzzy wuzzy angels’ during his service in New Guinea.

Written by Clemency Morony, the book is told from the viewpoint of Arthur Pratt’s 13-year-old granddaughter Ashleigh.

The book is written in a conversational format with Ashleigh asking her grandfather every possible question about his time in the Army as a despatch rider.

This book takes the reader through Arthur’s military career, from entering the Army by putting up his age, going AWOL, experiencing Sydney during the Japanese submarine attacks, and being wounded while serving in New Guinea.

Morony writes a descriptive and at times emotional account of one man’s wartime experiences.

Aimed more at a teenage audience, it is still interesting enough for anyone to pick up. A worthwhile addition to Australia’s wartime history.

CPL Andrew Hetherington