Book Review: ‘Coward on the Beach (vol 1)’ by James Delingpole

“Dick Coward is an ordinary chap forever caught up in the most extraordinary circumstances. Whether flying Spitfires in the Battle of Britain or acting as military advisor at Stalingrad, he has a knack for ending up in the thick of the action. But to Coward there are worse things than war, not least the possibility of the family estate ending up in the hands of his undeserving brother James. And then there is the gorgeous Gina… Only by amassing military glory on the beaches of Normandy can Coward satisfy his father and see that justice prevails.”

Published by Bloomsbury, paperback out now.

A Bit of History

Saturday 24th May as part of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London mini-festival, I had the opportunity to go on a London Duck Tour. This might not sound particularly war related but it is.

The amphibious vehicles (DUKW*) were originally used as ship to shore transport vehicles carrying supplies, occasionally manpower and support vehicles. Some of them saw action during the D-Day landings and many were still in service until the 1970s. The ones that the London Duck Tour people have are somewhere around 66yrs old and did see service. Even if you don’t really fancy a tour around London it’s worth going on just to sit in such a fantastic piece of history.

*D = first year production code (D = 1942)
*U = utility truck
*K = front wheel drive
*W = two rear driving wheels.

Imperial War Museum Trip

A few months back I went to the Imperial War Museum in London. I generally go there quite regularly when I get time off work as it’s a fascinating place and every time I’ve been someone has told me a story.

The first time I went as I was standing by the type of H-bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, a gentleman walked up to me and told me a story that he either read or been told by a journalist. There was this girl who after school would go home, collect her packed lunch and head off to work. On the day Little Boy was dropped she’d had to return home as she’d forgotten to pick up her lunch… the place she worked was either very close to the epicentre or was a direct hit. Perhaps even more disturbing, when I turned to the man to ask him more he’d gone and I didn’t see him again that day.

Obligitory Introduction

I’ve always watched war films and I’m fascinated with the history. My particular area of interest is the social side, what was it like during the Blitz for the average person, evacuation, living with rationing etc… Also very interested in the Naval side of things, mostly because my grandfather served in the RN during WWII and my father currently serves.

I have a blog where I review science fiction films & books, I recently thought it would be an interesting idea to do the same for war films & books, particularly since I can review some of the excellent non-fiction that’s around these days.

Whether this is a good idea, time will tell.

(Oh, the picture is from uboat.net and is the sinking of the HMS Barham. There is no stated copyright holder on the image.)