When it comes to books, my preferred genre is definitely non-fiction history books. Here are a few that I’ve recently enjoyed, accompanied by my thoughts on each one.
The Spitfire Pocket Manual 1939-1945, Martin Robinson
As someone who loves the iconic World War Two plane, I thoroughly enjoyed this short and detailed book on the Spitfire. Being able to read about its development alongside graphs and charts was sensational. The extracts from the Battle of Britain pilot logs are an invaluable resource and add to the overall historical relevance. The book definitely answered any questions I had about the Spitfire. My favourite part has to be the image schematics for the planes.
The Women Who Flew For Hitler, Claire Mulley
I have always tried to find a way to include women and war within my reading and my research, as I find the combination of the two fascinating. I chose to read this book as I don’t know much about German pilots or females who played crucial roles within the German war effort. This book allowed me to fill my knowledge void on both subjects and was certainly an interesting and unusual read. The book focuses on Hanna Reistch and Melitta Von Stauffenberg. Both women were pilots, but their stories could not be more different. If female war narratives interest you, this is a must-read.
Empress: Queen Victoria and India, Miles Taylor
I originally purchased this book as I needed it to provide part of my argument for a university essay. I was so intrigued by the book that, after I’d written my essay, I read some more. Empress is incredibly well written and the research is outstanding. Empress explorers the connection between Queen Victoria and India, largely focussing on the influence she held over the region of India. I knew about the connection, but I had not previously read about it. I would recommend the book to anybody who is interested in the British connection to India. Specifically to anyone interested in Queen Victoria’s connection.
The Anglo Saxon Shield, Ian Stobbs Stephenson
Anglo Saxon history is usually not my area of interest. I originally chose to read this book as I wished to further my knowledge on the period to help me with my job. However, once I started reading the book, I was truly fascinated and couldn’t put it down. My favourite part of the book was the pictures and diagrams which demonstrated the shields. The visual aspect was brilliant.
The book is incredibly well written and the author clearly did a lot of research. Anyone who is interested in the Anglo Saxon era should read this book.
WRENS: The Women’s Royal Naval Service, Neil R. Storey
I was gifted this book for Christmas. WRENS is something I don’t know a lot about as I haven’t chosen to specifically focus on it. The subject does however satisfy my desire to read and research about women and war. The book is incredibly short, covering the vast range of WRENS history. My favourite part is the inclusion of original photographs. I would suggest that the book is perfect for those who don’t know anything about the WRENS and are looking for a starting point.
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