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A review by jenbsbooks
Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler's Defeat by Giles Milton
3.5
I liked this fine, as far as learning some additional information about WW2 ... lots about bombs. Some said this read like a novel; I didn't find that to be the case. This felt more like a lecture, a school study. I had both the kindle copy (included in KU) and the audio (Hoopla) and switched a bit between the two formats. In audio, I could almost feel this as a university lecture. In print, all the notes to references made it feel academic. And does one stop, to check the reference during the initial read, or look at it after ... or not at all. Other than Churchill ... I don't know that I will remember the names of the others involved. And most of the involvement I'll remember was bombs. Limpets. Clams. Hedgehogs. I guess I should remember Gubbins, as his name is even in the headers of a couple of the chapters (Gubbin's Trojan War, Operation Gubbins).
I appreciated that this had a descriptive Table of Contents - even with that, it doesn't jog my memory much about what was contained in the chapters, except to remind that explosives were the subject matter for much of it (Ch7 The First Big Bang, Ch10 A Deadly Bang, Ch11 Masters of Sabotage etc). Guerrilla Warefare.
There wasn't really a "story" per se ... at least in my opinion. No "characters" (can't really call them that in non-fiction, yet in other nonfiction I've felt like I've gotten to know a certain person) that I cared about or will remember. In fact, I really don't think I'll remember much, maybe the odd tidbit here and there ... "didn't I hear something about that, in a book?" "Heavy Water" and delayed explosions (trains, airplanes, boats, bridges) ... The assassination of Heydrich by Josef Gabcik and Jan Kubis, Brickendonbury Manor, The Firs, Bletchley Park, Colin Grubbins, Cecil Clarke, George Rheam, Millis Jefferis, Stuart Macrae ...
There were some Acknowledgements in the Kindle copy (not in audio) that had some interesting information. There were also several photos, which were not only interesting, but also a great "recap" and reminder of what had been in the book.
A single instance of proFanity (a quote).
I appreciated that this had a descriptive Table of Contents - even with that, it doesn't jog my memory much about what was contained in the chapters, except to remind that explosives were the subject matter for much of it (Ch7 The First Big Bang, Ch10 A Deadly Bang, Ch11 Masters of Sabotage etc). Guerrilla Warefare.
There wasn't really a "story" per se ... at least in my opinion. No "characters" (can't really call them that in non-fiction, yet in other nonfiction I've felt like I've gotten to know a certain person) that I cared about or will remember. In fact, I really don't think I'll remember much, maybe the odd tidbit here and there ... "didn't I hear something about that, in a book?" "Heavy Water" and delayed explosions (trains, airplanes, boats, bridges) ... The assassination of Heydrich by Josef Gabcik and Jan Kubis, Brickendonbury Manor, The Firs, Bletchley Park, Colin Grubbins, Cecil Clarke, George Rheam, Millis Jefferis, Stuart Macrae ...
There were some Acknowledgements in the Kindle copy (not in audio) that had some interesting information. There were also several photos, which were not only interesting, but also a great "recap" and reminder of what had been in the book.
A single instance of proFanity (a quote).