Current reading - January 2026

First up with Otto Kretschmer, which examines the highly-celebrated German submarine commander, seemingly towards an end of debunking any lingering sense of his being a committed supporter of the Hitlerian regime. Which is not to say that he wasn't a hard-core nationalist, and a firm believer in Erich Raeder's vision of his navy being a state within a state.

The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt, expanded edition (1967?). Shame that the FS copy is so darn expensive; even the LOA copy is nearly 40 USD.

Read Redemption MacArthur and the Campaign for the Philippines. MacArthur and his generalship is the backbone of the book, but is is also a pretty thorough history of the two campaigns in the Philippines, both the Japanese conquest and MacArthur's reconquest, with a less detailed account of the road back. There is a full chapter on the guerrilla forces, who are not neglected in the narrative of the battles. The author makes it clear that the guerrilla were vital to the success of the campaign. MacArthur comes across as complicated. The author considers him to have been a good strategist but not a gifted tactical commander. He was clearly driven by a strong sense of responsibility for the liberation of the Philippines. Definitely not a coward, he oddly, especially for one who gained fame in WW1 for often visiting and keeping in contact with the front of his unit, generally neglected to do the same in WW2, and so had little concept of the difficulties faced by his troops. The book's narrative, on the other hand, does provide enough color and descriptions of the environment for the reader to do so, along with the description of the movements of the various units. Well written and engaging. I appreciated a couple of items. Japanese units were designated by the use of italics, like is done in the official Army histories. This eliminates the confusion that can arise when both sides are using numbered units and is a boon to the reader. Also, the maps were in shaded relief, a nice touch that adds information without clutter.

Finished The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson