User:Ranger Steve/Library

Ranger Steve suffers from a terrible and debilitating condition that prevents him from walking past a second hand book shop without wandering inside and buying any books they have on ancient or military history. The various symptoms can be seen below:

Second World War

 * The first time Ranger Steve read this he found it interesting and a good read. The second time, about 5 years later, he was infuriated by the puerile prose and ridiculously short sentences.  Strange that.
 * The first time Ranger Steve read this he found it interesting and a good read. The second time, about 5 years later, he was infuriated by the puerile prose and ridiculously short sentences.  Strange that.




 * Not only can Mears turn a piece of dead wood into a luxury home in an afternoon, he can also write a thoroughly engaging account of military history. A real page turner.
 * Not only can Mears turn a piece of dead wood into a luxury home in an afternoon, he can also write a thoroughly engaging account of military history. A real page turner.




 * Good account of the German operations in the pocket, but Ranger Steve needed some serious coffee to get through this book. Detailed, but could have used better maps to make sense of it all.
 * Good account of the German operations in the pocket, but Ranger Steve needed some serious coffee to get through this book. Detailed, but could have used better maps to make sense of it all.

Operation Market Garden and Arnhem

 * Osprey books can be hit or miss. This missed, but had lots of nice big pictures!
 * Osprey books can be hit or miss. This missed, but had lots of nice big pictures!


 * Nice pamphlet sized recount of Operation Market Garden. Excellent for referencing a single detail that might take twenty pages in a more detailed book.
 * Nice pamphlet sized recount of Operation Market Garden. Excellent for referencing a single detail that might take twenty pages in a more detailed book.


 * Excellent read, can't really be faulted. Ranger Steve was particularly impressed by Frost's matter of fact approach to situations that would have had him fleeing back to the TARDIS.
 * Excellent read, can't really be faulted. Ranger Steve was particularly impressed by Frost's matter of fact approach to situations that would have had him fleeing back to the TARDIS.


 * An excellent personal account of the Battle of Arnhem, this particular edition enhanced by the memories of a German officer also present at the battle.
 * An excellent personal account of the Battle of Arnhem, this particular edition enhanced by the memories of a German officer also present at the battle.


 * Good factual account of the battle, but dry, like a Martini spilt in the desert.
 * Good factual account of the battle, but dry, like a Martini spilt in the desert.


 * Ranger Steve enjoyed this narrative of the making of A Bridge Too Far, but is now left wanting to see the documentary they made....
 * Ranger Steve enjoyed this narrative of the making of A Bridge Too Far, but is now left wanting to see the documentary they made....




 * The authoritative account of the battle, Middlebrook's book is bigger than the bible and makes a fascinating, if long, read. There is the odd fact he's missed, but otherwise this is a fine book to steal from your local library (well, technically Ranger Steve hasn't stolen it, he just keeps renewing it online. So it hasn't actually been in the library for over a year now and soon it'll take up squatting rights on the bookshelf).
 * The authoritative account of the battle, Middlebrook's book is bigger than the bible and makes a fascinating, if long, read. There is the odd fact he's missed, but otherwise this is a fine book to steal from your local library (well, technically Ranger Steve hasn't stolen it, he just keeps renewing it online. So it hasn't actually been in the library for over a year now and soon it'll take up squatting rights on the bookshelf).


 * The original book on Operation Market Garden, Ryan creates a fascinating story, although it can wander in space and time sometimes. Much like Ranger Steve.
 * The original book on Operation Market Garden, Ryan creates a fascinating story, although it can wander in space and time sometimes. Much like Ranger Steve.


 * Another excellent personal account of the Battle of Arnhem, this time at the bridge. Sims manages to create a much more vivid portrayal of the fighting there than many authors – rather than just the facts of what happened where and when he brings the battle violently to life.
 * Another excellent personal account of the Battle of Arnhem, this time at the bridge. Sims manages to create a much more vivid portrayal of the fighting there than many authors – rather than just the facts of what happened where and when he brings the battle violently to life.




 * A fine book that Ranger Steve can't do enough to recommend. Not only does this provide a brilliant guide for someone visiting the battlesite, but it describes the whole shindig extremely well for the armchair historian as well.  As an added extra it gives an excellent idea of a division's structure and how various sub-units are deployed in such a battle.
 * A fine book that Ranger Steve can't do enough to recommend. Not only does this provide a brilliant guide for someone visiting the battlesite, but it describes the whole shindig extremely well for the armchair historian as well.  As an added extra it gives an excellent idea of a division's structure and how various sub-units are deployed in such a battle.