John Kettler Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 Thought some of you would be interested in seeing this. http://www.com-central.net/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=6935 Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 Thought some of you would be interested in seeing this. http://www.com-central.net/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=6935 Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel J Lee Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 Thank you for posting this, John. It's sad to hear. He seemed to be a great man. His service certainly was. I am just about finished with his book, "Death Traps". It is the most interesting and engrossing WW2 read I've done in a LONG time. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves WW2 history. It reads like an action novel throughout most of its parts and has many good and surprising insights. Thanks again for bringing to our awareness the loss of another great soldier from a dying generation. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel J Lee Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 Thank you for posting this, John. It's sad to hear. He seemed to be a great man. His service certainly was. I am just about finished with his book, "Death Traps". It is the most interesting and engrossing WW2 read I've done in a LONG time. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves WW2 history. It reads like an action novel throughout most of its parts and has many good and surprising insights. Thanks again for bringing to our awareness the loss of another great soldier from a dying generation. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 Colonel J Lee, You're welcome! Am frankly surprised yours is the only response I've gotten to my post. I, too, read with fascination his book and have seen a bunch of interviews he did on the History Channel. Speaking of dying generations, I marvel at how old even our Vietnam veterans look when compared to their World War II confreres. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 Colonel J Lee, You're welcome! Am frankly surprised yours is the only response I've gotten to my post. I, too, read with fascination his book and have seen a bunch of interviews he did on the History Channel. Speaking of dying generations, I marvel at how old even our Vietnam veterans look when compared to their World War II confreres. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 I thought his book was ok as long as Cooper stayed in his lane. Unfortunately, all too often he didn't or wouldn't, and that greatly detracts from its value. In other news: old man dies. Sad, but that's what happens. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 I thought his book was ok as long as Cooper stayed in his lane. Unfortunately, all too often he didn't or wouldn't, and that greatly detracts from its value. In other news: old man dies. Sad, but that's what happens. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel J Lee Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 I'm just curious, Jon S: what did you mean by Cooper 'staying in his lane'. I thought there were a couple of technical errors he made (in the appendices, for e.g.), but I would like to know (cordially) what it is that you are referring to. THANKS. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel J Lee Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 I'm just curious, Jon S: what did you mean by Cooper 'staying in his lane'. I thought there were a couple of technical errors he made (in the appendices, for e.g.), but I would like to know (cordially) what it is that you are referring to. THANKS. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 When i read his book I got the distinct idea it was a solid 'extended article' padded out greatly to fit a book format. It was all that filler material (usually finding different ways to repeat the same thing over and over) that got the book in trouble. The technical anecdotes like Shermans being short on spark plugs in Normandy due to constant fouling were priceless. The bit where he confused torsion bar suspension with 'Christie' suspension simply felt like badly researched filler material. That's what happens when you've got 50 pages of material but have 200 pages to fill. [ July 16, 2007, 08:19 AM: Message edited by: MikeyD ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 When i read his book I got the distinct idea it was a solid 'extended article' padded out greatly to fit a book format. It was all that filler material (usually finding different ways to repeat the same thing over and over) that got the book in trouble. The technical anecdotes like Shermans being short on spark plugs in Normandy due to constant fouling were priceless. The bit where he confused torsion bar suspension with 'Christie' suspension simply felt like badly researched filler material. That's what happens when you've got 50 pages of material but have 200 pages to fill. [ July 16, 2007, 08:19 AM: Message edited by: MikeyD ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel J Lee Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Yeah, Mikey D...I noticed some technical mistakes (but not as many as others since I don't have that much technical knowledge about things like Christie vs. Tortion bar suspensions, etc.). He did make a reference to PzIVs having thicker armour than Panthers and similar type mistakes. However, what I enjoyed about the book was the first hand accounts of battles, skirmishes and the things that happen in war (e.g., the story about watching the 5 B-17s get shot down by the rocket firing fighters and fishing a guy alive out of the tail section after it landed several hundred feet away or the King Tigers routing the US HT and Tank column and two of the TIgers being taken out by phosphorus rounds, etc.). That's what I've enjoyed from the read. I have also noticed the repetitions. Not perfect book but fun to read. I guess I don't read a lot of WW2 stuff. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel J Lee Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Yeah, Mikey D...I noticed some technical mistakes (but not as many as others since I don't have that much technical knowledge about things like Christie vs. Tortion bar suspensions, etc.). He did make a reference to PzIVs having thicker armour than Panthers and similar type mistakes. However, what I enjoyed about the book was the first hand accounts of battles, skirmishes and the things that happen in war (e.g., the story about watching the 5 B-17s get shot down by the rocket firing fighters and fishing a guy alive out of the tail section after it landed several hundred feet away or the King Tigers routing the US HT and Tank column and two of the TIgers being taken out by phosphorus rounds, etc.). That's what I've enjoyed from the read. I have also noticed the repetitions. Not perfect book but fun to read. I guess I don't read a lot of WW2 stuff. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCHRD Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 What did he get the bronze star for? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCHRD Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 What did he get the bronze star for? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Kruger Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 I read that book and really enjoyed it. While I am no grog, looking back I can agree with some of the criticisms above. However, it is sad news to hear, and I would recommend the book as well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Kruger Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 I read that book and really enjoyed it. While I am no grog, looking back I can agree with some of the criticisms above. However, it is sad news to hear, and I would recommend the book as well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sand digger Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Any 'technical errors' could be explained by the different use of terminology and by trying to remember things that happened a long time ago. Yet some want to turn this into a credibility thing, unbelieveable. I'll take the word of someone who was there over an armchair expert any day, subject to the usual evaluations one makes automatically. Those sorts of blokes should be national treasures and mourned as such. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sand digger Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Any 'technical errors' could be explained by the different use of terminology and by trying to remember things that happened a long time ago. Yet some want to turn this into a credibility thing, unbelieveable. I'll take the word of someone who was there over an armchair expert any day, subject to the usual evaluations one makes automatically. Those sorts of blokes should be national treasures and mourned as such. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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