Hannibal, Scipio and the battle that could have changed history, but didn't.

THE GHOSTS OF CANNAE Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic by Robert L. O’Connell, read by Alan Sklar. Unabridged.

When Hannibal Barca led his small army of Carthaginians over the Alps and into Italy at the beginning of the Second Punic War, nobody on either side foresaw that he would rampage through Roman territory for nearly a generation. And, if such knowledge had been known beforehand, the seers would have considered it even less likely that the Roman Republic could withstand having an enemy army tearing up its hinterland for almost twenty years. And yet, this is precisely what happened.

This incredibly fine audiobook centers around the pivotal battle of Cannae, where Hannibal dealt Roman a crushing defeat, a defeat so complete, so total and so demoralizing, that it should have won the war for Carthage. Had that happened, history would forever have been changed and the rise of the Roman Empire would have been unlikely. That would have made the ascendancy of the Catholic Church impossible, since it was formed around and then built upon the skeleton of the Empire, and had the Church not been spread throughout the west by the Romans, then the modern western world would not have happened.

But Cannae did not force Rome to the bargaining table, as it should have, and that is the most fascinating part of this narrative. Sweeping and informative, of necessity the author has to use conjecture to figure out many details of the period that are now lost to history, but he does so in a fascinating, entertaining and scholarly manner. This was a terrific book that was very well read. If you have a history buff on this year's gift list, you could do much worse than buying them this audiobook.

THE DAMNED TRILOGY by Alan Dean Foster

Hiya bookies, more priceless stuff from your friendly neighborhood bookseller. Way back in 1993, not long after I established my still-going AOL email account, I read Alan Dean Foster's SF/Fantasy trilogy The Damned and really enjoyed it. Here are my brief thoughts from those days:

"A Call to Arms" by Alan Dean Foster. Aliens galore! Intergalactic war! Fun, fun, give me more! Foster writes SF without the science, and for shameless entertainment this is exceedingly well-written. He occasionally lets his politics become tiresome, but not very often. Highly recommended. A+

"The False Mirror" by Alan Dean Foster. Second in The Damned trilogy, this book is loads more fun than the first, with nearly non-stop action and very little preaching. Highest recommendation for those looking for escapist reading. A

"The Spoils of War" by Alan Dean Foster. Book three of The Damned, it's more complex, somewhat slower but more ambitious than its two predecessors. A truly preachy paragraph on the next to last page wrecks the ending, but the rest is good enough to keep the pages turning. Recommended. A

For all you conspiracy theorists out there...

...and you know who you are, here's a brand new 'Hitler got away' story to chew on. I thought we were done with these many years ago, but fortunately the authors of a brand new book have brought back one of our favorite conspiracy theories. Shades of the Twilight Zone!

DID ADOLF HITLER ESCAPE?

According to the book by Simon Dunstan and Gerrard Williams, Adolf Hitler escaped

Monday October 17,2011

By Adrian Lee

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AS Russian tanks closed in on Berlin in 1945, two figures slipped away from the devastated Reich Chancellery through a secret tunnel.

Despite the shells bombarding the German capital the roads were still clear and sufficiently wide for a transport aircraft to land.

Soon the middle ­aged couple were safely on board a plane and captain Peter Baumgart began taxiing away.

Although he was an experienced pilot and the take­off was routine, the pilot was ashen­faced and sweating.

Perhaps, however, he summoned the courage to sneak a glance over his shoulder at his cargo. On board were Adolf Hitler and his mistress Eva Braun.

This sensational claim that the Nazi leader and his mistress fled Berlin at the end of the second World War to begin a new life in Argentina is made in the new book Grey Wolf: The Escape Of Adolf Hitler.

The authors claim they have “compelling evidence” that there was a carefully orchestrated plot to spirit Hitler out of Germany once it became clear that the tide of war was turning against the Nazis.

According to the book by Simon Dunstan and Gerrard Williams, Adolf Hitler escaped

On April 27, three days before he is officially said to have committed suicide, the Führer agreed a body double to take his place. an unknown actress stepped in for Eva.

According to the book by Simon Dunstan and Gerrard Williams the genuine Nazi leader and his mistress were first flown to Tonder in Denmark, where the party took a second flight to the Luftwaffe base at Travemunde.

Changing planes again they boarded a Long­range Ju 252 and flew to the Spanish military base at Reus, south of Barcelona.

From here General Franco supplied a further aircraft in Spanish markings to fly Hitler to Fuerteventura on the Canary islands.

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A day later he and Eva boarded a U-­boat, which was the signal for their doubles in Berlin to be executed.

Under heavy Russian gunfire their remains were incinerated in the garden.

By the time the Russians reached Hitler’s bunker and found the fakes their real prey was deep beneath the atlantic Ocean.

The most audacious ruse in history was complete and it is claimed that Hitler spent his remaining 17 years living peacefully in a Nazi enclave in Argentina.

A fortune in looted gold and jewellery, loaded on to the submarine during the escape, ensured that he wanted for nothing.

Gerrard Williams, a journalist and film director, says: “There is no forensic evidence that Hitler died in the bunker. The Nazi high command had been making plans since 1943 to get out of Germany and to set up a Fourth Reich, mainly in South America, so they had no need to die in Germany. There was a very effective route out of the country.

“We never wanted this story to be true but the horrifying reality is, we believe, that at the end of the war the most evil man in the world escaped from Germany and lived out his life in Argentina.”

It is known that Argentina was sympathetic to the Hitler regime – even supplying fake paperwork to help them escape from Europe – and became a haven for many prominent nazis after the war, evil men such as Josef Mengele, Adolf Eichmann and Klaus Barbie.

The entire plan is claimed to have been masterminded by Hitler’s private secretary Martin Bormann and “Grey Wolf” was the codename for the Nazi leader.

The soviets always gave conflicting information about the discovery of the bodies in the Führerbunker and what happened in the chaos of the end of the war.

The remains were said to have been buried but later exhumed and moved to different locations, apparently to avoid Hitler’s grave becoming a shrine.

However it later emerged that the Russians kept a piece of his skull with a distinctive bullet hole. The fragment was always said to be incontrovertible proof that Hitler had indeed died by his own hand in 1945.

Then two years ago archaeologist and bone specialist Nick Bellantoni concluded that the skull really belonged to a woman aged under 40 and not Hitler, who was 56 when he supposedly died.

Bellantoni also dis­ counted the possibility that the skull was that of Braun because she was said in reports from the bunker to have killed herself by taking cyanide and would therefore not have suffered a bullet wound.

Intriguingly, declassified FBi files from the late Forties also contain a reference to Hitler having escaped Berlin and begun a new life in South America.

For almost 30 years J Edgar Hoover and his FBI maintained a detailed dossier on the Nazi leader and investigated any report that indicated he still was alive, including dispatching agents to Argentina on several occasions.

When US president Harry S Truman asked Joseph Stalin in 1945 whether Hitler was dead, the Soviet leader is said to have replied bluntly, “No”.

As late as the Fifties US president Dwight D Eisenhower declared: “We have been unable to unearth one bit of tangible evidence of Hitler’s death.”

At the end of the war the death of Hitler was a neat conclusion. It was not surprising that the world lapped up the stories of his suicide without asking too many searching questions.

Williams, who spent five years researching the book and made numerous visits to Argentina, says: “Everyone wanted to close the chapter very quickly because the Cold War was just starting. It’s only now Argentina is once more a thriving democracy that the real stories are coming out. The more files and reports we looked at, the more we realised the death in the bunker was a fiction.”

The book includes testimony from the pilot who “flew Hitler and Eva Braun out of Berlin” and a dozen other witnesses.

According to the book 53 days after leaving Spain by submarine the couple arrived off the Argentine coast, south of Mar Del Plata. The Führer and his mistress were quietly but enthusiastically welcomed.

Hitler would live there in a village in the foothill of the Andes until 1962, planning the rebirth of the Nazis. It is claimed that he and Eva did marry but separated in 1953 when she moved to Nequén.

The book also contains the testimony of bodyguards, cooks and doctors who claim to have worked for Hitler. The authors say they have evidence that pinpoints the exact house where he lived in Patagonia. A rather grand wooden chalet-style building, it must have reminded Hitler of the Bavarian Alps.

The Führer is claimed to have died on February 13, 1962 at 3pm. He was said to be demented but still clinging to his dream of Nazi domination.

There is a chilling postscript revealed in the new book. Before they separated Adolf and Eva are claimed to have had two daughters. According to the authors both are still alive in South America.

If this account is to be taken seriously Hitler’s bloodline survives with them.

http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/277962/

Hitler's Rocket Soldiers

Here's a history that doesn't have much history for you bookies. Not much has been written about the men and organization of the German rocket warfare units of World War II. The rockets themselves? Yes. The scientists, such as Werner von Braun? Yes. But the men who did the actual deploying and firing? No.

For the WW2 buffs and those who love them, this is a site to bookmark.

Hitler's Rocket Soldiers

The Men who fired the V2s against England
Murray R. Barber and Michael Keuer

Buy Online

‘We V2 soldiers fulfilled our tasks with the knowledge that every firing meant innocent people lost their lives…’

This substantial book provides an invaluable contribution to the operational history of the A4 (V2) rocket. Little has been written about the secret activities of the special troops whose role was to protect and fire the operational A4 (V2) rocket under field conditions in World War Two. Carefully researched, the book goes a long way to filling this void. As the result of many years tracking down the few remaining veterans the authors have complied eleven individual biographies of rocket troops whose pre-combat occupations included a scientist, chemist, engineer, toolmaker and builder. The text is written clearly and concisely and is well referenced.
The book provides a fascinating insight into the day-to-day lives of the rocket troops including their personal combat experiences, attitudes, humour and interpersonal relations. Particularly intriguing are their interactions with such Peenemünde notables as Dr. Wernher von Braun and Major General Walter Dornberger. Light is also thrown on the establishment of the field units and the training of the troops. The fact that several of the veterans interviewed have subsequently passed away highlights the urgency and importance of collecting such historical material. The scholarly work is highly recommended to any one with an interest in the history of Hitler’s rocket troops and the field deployment of the world’s first long-range rocket.

Brett Gooden author of Projekt Natter - Last of the Wonder Weapons and Spaceport Australia

In the final, desperate months of World War Two, at a time when the German war machine was considered by the Allies to be an almost spent force, Adolf Hitler unleashed a new weapon against England and western Europe that fell from the silence of the Earth’s upper atmosphere and the edge of space. It was a weapon that struck fear into the hearts and minds of wartime civilians; it came without warning and defence was impossible. This was an unseen threat that fell at supersonic speeds, levelling suburban streets to dust in seconds, terrorising the residents of London and Antwerp – this was the V2 Rocket.

The V2 – ‘Vergeltungswaffen Zwei’ (Vengeance Weapon 2), designed by the rocket scientist and engineer, Wernher von Braun, and his colleagues at the secret Nazi research centre at Peenemünde, was the most sophisticated weapon developed in Europe during the war. Following the end of hostilities, von Braun and many in his team transferred their allegiance to the United States and subsequently went on to design the mighty Saturn V that took the Americans to the moon. The experiences of von Braun’s rocket team are well documented, but somewhat surprisingly, some aspects of the V2 story remain largely uncovered. This is especially true from the German perspective and more specifically, the view of the men who formed the firing teams for this formidable weapon that embraced supersonic technology. From September 1944 to early 1945, V2 launch teams fired more than 3,000 rockets, each with a high-explosive one-ton warhead, at targets in England, France, Belgium, Holland and even within Germany itself. Many rockets were fired from mobile launch sites in The Hague and from concealed wooded areas hidden from Allied aircraft, using fleets of modern, purpose-built transporters and trailers with sophisticated ancillary and support vehicles.

For the first time, this book tells the story of the V2 through the eyes and experiences not only of the men who fired the missiles at targets such as London, Norwich, Antwerp and Paris, but also of some of the military scientists and technicians involved in its development. The authors have spent many years tracking down and interviewing the few surviving veterans of these little-known and secretive units and have unearthed new and rare information from first-hand accounts. These are the unique recollections of the ‘Rocket Soldiers’ who have spoken candidly to the authors about their wartime duties.

The accounts show that, mostly, they were not stereotypical and ideologically indoctrinated ‘Aryan warriors’, but very ordinary soldiers and technicians living through extraordinary times, handling the most sophisticated weapon ever developed in pre-nuclear Europe. The book also describes the development of German rocketry following the end of the First World War and the technology embodied within the V2. The veterans tell of their first encounters with the awesome new rocket and how, having survived the devastating RAF raid on Peenemünde, training was dispersed to test sites in Poland. They recall the move to forward firing positions, gun battles with the Resistance and the start of the rocket offensive. In truth, the more battle-experienced veterans knew that the V2 was a waste of valuable human and matériel resources – a last-ditch hope to save a desperate regime. Conversely, the book illustrates how inexperienced troops drafted directly to the V2 units from basic training, vainly hoped and believed that the fortunes of war would turn in Germany’s favour. The veterans tell of their desperate experiences when the inevitable defeat came, as they were rushed to the east to defend Berlin where so many Rocket Soldiers lost their lives. Yet while some V2 troops ended the war with tears of regret for a robbed youth, others shed tears of frustration, knowing that they would never live through such extraordinary times again.

Hitler’s Rocket Soldiers forms an important new contribution to our understanding of the German war machine and its technology. Using never-before tapped resources, this book will be a revelation and valuable resource to all military historians and those with an interest in rocket development.

The Authors

Murray R. Barber F.R.A.S., was born in 1956 and is married with two children. He lives in Devon, England where he pursues several business interests that are related to astronomy. He has developed and written curriculum support information for the teaching of astronomy as well as the history of ancient Egypt, which is in use in planetariums worldwide. Since his schooldays he has always been interested in the history of World War Two and in particular its aviation. The V2 rocket represents a cross-over of his two main interests – the V2 being the very first man-made object to enter space and which was to lead, ultimately, to vehicles travelling beyond Pluto. Through the International V2 Research Group he met Michael Keuer and, following visits to see the remains of the former Peenemünde research and development establishment on the Baltic coast, they decided to study, together, the history of the V2 rocket. It was to fill the void of first-hand accounts of the operational use of the weapon, that the idea for this book was born. Murray is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Michael Keuer was born in 1959 in Hannover, Germany and is a senior software developer in a veterinarian pharmaceutical supply company. He has always held a keen interest in historical technical developments and the personalities behind scientific advancement. Following the reunification of Germany, he was able to visit the previously restricted area of Peenemünde to see the remains of the development works from where the V2 rocket was created and launched. During World War Two his grandfather worked as a technical skilled worker at Peenemünde and, indeed, Michael’s father was born just 32 kilometres away from the cradle of modern space science. As his interest grew, he met Murray Barber and the two decided to research the reminiscences of the last few surviving men involved in the military development and employment of this extraordinary weapon of war.

HELL TO PAY Operation Downfall and the Invasion of Japan, 1945-1947 by D. M. Giangreco

HELL TO PAY Operation Downfall and the Invasion of Japan, 1945-1947 by G.M. Giangreco. Unabridged audio, read by Danny Campbell.

For some reason, there still seems to be a controversy over whether or not dropping the atomic bombs on Japan was necessary, or whether an invasion would have had far fewer casualties than is usually thought. This line of reasoning typically begins with the United States imposing a lengthy starvation blockade on Japan, or going ahead with invasion plans, and that either one would have produced far fewer Japanese casualties than the A-bombs did, and American casualties would have been minimal.

This book is the definitive response to that argument. The author refrains from any speculation, using only actual documents and histories to map out what would have been a terrifying and incredibly costly fight to the finish. This is a scholarly book, although not a boring one at all; it will hold up to the closest academic scrutiny. I learned something new on almost every page, including how the casualty rate in the Pacific influenced Eisenhower’s decisions in Europe. The reading is passable, there are a few instances of words being mis-pronounced, but in fair Campbell also handles Japanese words very well. All in all, this is a shockingly mandatory book for anyone with even the most remote interest in the Pacific Theater. A definite 'A' effort.

SPQR XIII: THE YEAR OF CONFUSION by John Maddox Roberts

Fall is fast approaching Memphis, bookies, and it's time to start stocking up on the winter reading material. For those of you who love ancient history but want something more than dry descriptions of broken ruins, here's a choice from one of my Top Ten favorite mystery series'.

SPQR XIII: THE YEAR OF CONFUSION by John Maddox Roberts

This review was written for and first appeared at www.iloveamysterynewsletter.com

Senator Decius Caecilius Metellus has lived through some pretty dangerous times, always managing to steer clear enough of Roman politics to keep his head on his shoulders, while simultaneously enjoying the sumptuous life of a wealthy Roman. He has also achieved some notoriety with his unique investigative methods when it’s actually important to solve a murder or two. (Unlike most murders, which Romans aren’t really worried about) After a stint as Praetor Peregrinas in the last two books in this highly original series, a few years hav epassed and Decius finds himself back in Rome and out of politics. And a good thing, too! Because those missing years have not been quiet ones.

In the last book Pompey the Great made a cameo appearance. In this book Pompey is dead and buried, the loser in the war with Gaius Julius Caesar. Mining history, the author finds a little known tidbit around which to base his book: the re-ordering of the Roman calendar into twelve more or less equal months. It seems that Caesar is intent on many things, not just re-building Rome to his liking, or conquering the Parthian Empire, or even making himself Pharoah, but of re-working time itself. And the Romans aren’t happy about it. The old calendar might not have been very accurate but they were used to it and saw no need to change.

Enter a group of distinguished astronomers and astrologers, brought to Rome by Caesar to develop the new calendar. Enter Decius as Caesar’s pick to bring the new calendar before the public. And enter a murderer, who in no time murders two of the astronomers in a manner unknown to the Romans, who know a great deal about murders. For Decius this is a tricky matter. Not only must he solve two murders, he must do it quickly or risk angering the one man you didn’t want to anger, the Dictator of Rome.

As always, the author knows how to build suspense and give clues, to make the solving of the murders interesting to his readers. But, also as always, the reader gets the impression that finding the killer is secondary to the author’s desire to wander about Rome and its environs, to play with his cast and just plain have fun. Not only does he do that here, but he’s in rare form. This must have been a blast for him to write.

Just the cast alone would have been delicious to move about the chessboard of the case at hand: Julius Caesar, of course, Decius’ old commander from Gaul; Cleopatra (yes, THAT Cleopatra, who really was in Rome that year); Marcus Antonius and his scheming patrician wife Fulvia; Caesar’s old bed-mate, Servilia; his niece, Atia (and her young son and future emperor, Octavian); Crassus, Brutus, you name them, if they were famous during that last year of Caesar’s reign they’re probably here.

The real star, though, is Rome itself. The author skillfully interweaves daily life in ancient Rome so successfully that it’s almost as if the reader were there. He has obviously done his homework. For example, the old Senate meeting place, the Curia, still stands today, so when Decius eats at a tavern near there the mind’s eye can actually grasp the image using ruins that still exist. It’s verisimilitude, with a vengeance. All in all SPQR XIII: The Year of Confusion stands as being at least as good as anything else in the series, and that’s saying something.If we are grading these books, give this one the A and maybe the '+', too.