J. P. Harris

There are several reasons to welcome this study of South Vietnam's efforts to control the so-called Central Highlands. That it focuses on Saigon's objectives is one of those points. Another is that "Montagnard" peoples get dealt with in a level of detail that I haven't seen before. Three, Harris emphasizes that, by the end of the period he's covering, the ARVN was still game and had done as much damage, if not more so, to the PAVN mainforce units than they had received in return; a relevant point since Harris argues that the performance of the 1st Cavalry Division at Ia Drang has been somewhat overrated. Highly recommended.… (mehr)

The book is a well-written and detailed survey of the generalship of Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig during the First World War. There is no attempt at psychoanalysis, or even a generalized biography. It is a study of his generalship and works quite well. Explicitly, J.P. Harris, a lecturer at the RMA Sandhurst, tries to avoid the extremes of passion engendered by Haig, and does a pretty good job. Haig comes across as a smart, complex man, who proved to be an adequate general - it is important to never forget that the Allies won, not the Germans. He is a self-aggrandizing and savvy political operator. But then, how does one reach the top if one is not. For all that, he tried hard to do the best for the BEF, and Harris shows that quite clearly. I finished the book not liking Haig, but at least I was cured of the detestation left by reading Winter's book last. As a minor nationalistic note, Harris, as a British historian, is visibly irritated with the glorification of the Australian and Canadian expeditionary forces, and tries hard, especially in the portion of the book dealing with the Hundred Days, to minimize their contribution. In fact, the Canadian Corps took over one quarter of all the prisoners taken by the entire BEF in the final few months, and made other contributions accordingly. I recommend this book to any serious amateur student of the First World War.… (mehr)