Book Review: Wartime Women: A Mass-Observation Anthology
by Gordon Thorburn
List Price: $12.95 Hardback: 288 Pages
Publish Date: March 28, 2006
Without offering them in any particular order of significance, this study of
wartime England is worth a read for at least three reasons. First, this is
anthology of writings about World War II by those who lived through the war in
England. We're not talking hindsight, but comments recorded as the war was
going on. Second, it is devoted to a specific gender: this is an anthology of
writings by women. Third, it is yet one more edited publication from the
archives of Mass-Observation (M-O), now housed at the University of Sussex, a
collection of pre-war and war observations concerning life in Britain during
World War II. As with other volumes from the extensive M-O archives, I found
this volume strangely compelling.
Book Review: Bombers First and Last
by Gordon Thorburn
List Price: $35.00 Hardback: 432 Pages
Publish Date: May 1, 2006
Gordon Thorburn's Bombers First and Last, ostensibly about the air war
in Europe in World War II, is not for everyone. This is not to say it is not a
good book: it is excellent in many ways. But it is also a complex book, in
inception, presentation and outlook, and the complexity may confuse many readers
who do not appreciate what Thorburn has created. At its simplest,
Bombers First and Last reminds me somewhat of a family biography.
Thorburn's family, however, is 9 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command, part of 3 Group
when war began in 1939 and transferred to 5 Group in 1942. The volume details
the history of the squadron family – the births and deaths, the successes and
failures, the 'bests' and 'worsts' – during the six-year-long war. If this is
all that could be said about it, Bombers First and Last would still be
a book worth reading. But the book is much more than that. It is also – for the
general reader – much less.
Book Review: The Sling and the
Stone
by Colonel Thomas X. Hammes
List Price: $24.95 Hardback: 336 Pages
Publish Date: Sept. 12, 2004
Review by Bruce Brager.
Writers for, and readers off, www.militaryhistoryonline.com, not to mention
writers and readers of any of the military and political history books
mentioned on this web site, should have taken at least one lesson from our
readings and our writings. Like most such lessons, it is easy to state, almost
clichéd, but is often ignored. The lesson is - Asking the wrong questions leads
almost inexorably to the wrong answers. "Almost," because luck is always a
factor in life. Battles can be won be accident. The "on any Sunday" factor
applies here as well as on the sports field.
Bloody Tarawa : The 2d Marine Division, November 20-23, 1943
by Eric Hammel
List Price: $29.95 Hardcover: 304 Pages
Publish Date: January 1, 2006
Review by Brian Williams.
This book is a Marine's book. It offers a detailed narrative and numerous
photographs of the island and battle. My only complaint is that it is short on
maps and thus, tends to get very confusing quickly. But, putting aside the
'confusion' issue, the book is full of spectacular battle photos. And, since
the photos are what this book is all about, it really is worth it in this
aspect. Overall, this is a good addition to your library.
The All Americans in World War II: A Photographic History of the 82nd Airborne
Division at War
by Phil Nordyke
List Price: $34.95 Hardcover: 192 Pages
Publish Date: May 19, 2006
Review by Brian Williams.
The All Americans in World War II: A Photographic History of the 82nd Airborne
Division at War is a must-own if you are interested in US Airborne
operations in Europe. The title of the book says it all. This book has 365
photos and 31 excellent maps which details the 82nd's operations in Western
Europe.
Marines in the Garden of Eden : The Battle for An Nasiriyah
by Richard S. Lowry
List Price: $24.95 Hardcover: 448 Pages
Publish Date: June 6, 2006
Review by Brian Grafton.
Richard Lowry's Marines in the Garden of Eden is the story of the
creation, deployment and initial commitment of USMC Task Force Tarawa in the
coalition invasion of Iraq on 20 March 2003. TF Tarawa's story is framed by the
"ambush" of the Army's 507th Maintenance Company, and of the capture and
subsequent rescue of Jessica Lynch – arguably the most famous PoW of the
assault on Iraq. Task Force Tarawa entered Iraq with what might have been a
simple mission: secure a path on the east side of the city of An Nasiriyah
which would allow other Marine groups to close on Baghdad from East of the
Euphrates. Without the complications arising from the Iraqi assault on 507th
Maintenance Company, which became lost and strayed into Iraqi-controlled
territory, the week-long battle for An Nasiriyah may never have taken place.
The Hitler Book: The Secret Dossier Prepared For Stalin From The Interrogations
of Hitler's Personal Aides
by Fyodor Parparov, Matthias Uhl
List Price: $27.50 Hardcover: 370 Pages
Publish Date: October 30, 2005
Review by Brian Williams.
For months two captives of the Soviet Army -- Otto Guensche, Hitler's adjutant,
and Heinz Linge, his personal valet--were interrogated daily, their stories
crosschecked, until the NKVD were convinced that they had the fullest possible
account of the life of the Führer. In 1949 they presented their work, in a
single copy, to Stalin. It is as remarkable for the depth of its insight into
Adolf Hitler -- from his specific directions to Linge as to how his body was to
be burned, to his sense of humor -- as for what it does not say, reflecting the
prejudices of the intended reader: Joseph Stalin. Nowhere, for instance, does
the dossier criticize Hitler's treatment of the Jews.
The Fall of France: the Nazi Invasion of 1940
by Julian Jackson
List Price: $14.95 Paperback: 278 Pages
Publish Date: May 27, 2004
Review by Brian Grafton.
Julian Jackson's The Fall of France, first published in 2003 and then
released in paper covers in 2004, is the first in a series from OUP titled "The
Making of the Modern World". It is an outstanding read, and augurs well for
future volumes in the series. For many with an interest in the political,
social and military history of World War II, the events of May and June of 1940
are divided into two distinct parts. First comes the "blitzkrieg" of the German
Wehrmacht, which sundered the armies of France, Belgium and Holland,
and drove the British Expeditionary Force to the port of Dunkirk. Second comes
the dramatic rescue of 300,000+ troops from the beaches during the frantic few
days of late May and early June. The focus then turns to the coming Battle of
Britain.
Like Wolves on the Fold: The Defence of Rorke's Drift
by Mike Snook
List Price: $34.95 Hardback: 288 Pages
Publish Date: April 15, 2006
Review by Brian Williams
I really enjoyed this book as it recounts one of the greatest defenses in
military history against an enemy of overwhelming odds. I might suggest
the reader to also read Snook's book entitled How Can Man Die
Better?: The Secrets Of Isandlwana Revealed -- although, Like
Wolves does address the topic of Isandlwana
quite in-depth and its effect on Rorke's Drift. For those not
familiar with Isandlwana, keep in mind that the battle was a huge British
disaster and sets the stage for the encounter at Rorke's Drift. That is,
Rorke's Drift is a result of Isandlwana and studying that battle
beforehand might help the reader; although it is not at all a
prerequisite.
Napoleon's Last Grande Armée - Eyewitness Portraits From the 1813 Campaign
Research and Text by Alfred Umhey
List Price: $265. See the
Military History Press site for latest price.
Hardback: 347 pages, 148 color plates
Publish Date: 2005
Sold by
Military History Press and available for purchase online.
Review by Brian Williams
Napoleon's Last Grande Armée is an exquisitely-printed, bound,
limited-edition, book containing eyewitness illustrations of Napoleon's
Grande Armée. This book is probably one the highest quality books printed
that I have ever seen. It is heavy, fairly large (9.5" X 13.5"
-- not too large), made of museum-quality paper, fine-custom binding and has
all the qualities of a collectors-edition book. Each book comes as a
numbered copy of 1000 limited edition printing and an adhesive card signed by
the author.
The Soldier's View: The Civil War Art of Keith Rocco
by Robert I. Girardi and Paul B. Jenison
List Price: $69.95 Hardback: 192 Pages
Publish Date: August, 2005
Review by Brian Williams
The Soldier's View: The Civil War Art of Keith Rocco (Text
by Robert I. Girardi) is a great Civil War art book with more than
100 paintings, murals, and sketches and is only the second Rocco book
published in the past ten years.
The paintings, murals, and sketches presented in this books range
from battlefield scenes, to routine camp life and all subjects in
between. But, this book is much more than just paintings, etc. The
paintings themselves are worth the price of this book, but in addition to the
paintings, Girardi includes an abundant amount of text that gives the reader
background to the paintings and an insight into why Rocco included specific
features in his paintings.
Lincoln's Tragic Admiral: The Life of Samuel Francis Du Pont
by Kevin J. Weddle
List Price: $34.95 Hardback: 296 Pages
Publish Date: May 26, 2005
Review by Brian Williams
Lincoln's Tragic Admiral: The Life of Samuel Francis Du Pont by Kevin
J. Weddle is a wonderful biography of US Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont.
Du Pont is best-known for his failed ironclad assault on Charleston on April 7,
1863. This book examines key documents from his life and career to give
the reader not only a complete biography of the admiral, but also an excellent
insight into Civil War and pre-Civil War operations.
This book is, of course, a biography of Du Pont. And, because he joined the US
Navy in 1815, we follow his career from the fledgling post-War of 1812
navy to the height of the Civil War. The gives the reader an excellent
insight into our nation's early coastal fortifications
development, the evolution of coastal strategy, naval modernization, blockading
techniques and eventually full-scale wartime naval operations during the Civil
War. Fittingly, only a small section of the book is devoted to the actual
assault, since up until that point, Du Pont had served admirably in the US Navy
for decades.
Hitler's Raid to save Mussolini
by Greg Annussek
List Price: $26.00 Hardback: 400 Pages
Publish Date: September 2005
Review by Brian Williams
Hitler's Raid to save Mussolini - The most
infamous commando operation of World War II by Greg
Annussek is a book about Hitler and Mussolini's relationship, their histories
with each other, and the September 12 glider rescue.
The book is much more than just about the glider rescue -- it is an insightful
study of the relationship between Hitler and Mussolini. We learn about
Mussolini's true feeling towards Hitler and the awkward relationship between
the two. Hitler had a deep admiration for Mussolini, but Mussolini's
admiration was with the German war machine. The book does a wonderful job
of describing this relationship in great detail and also creating the
'behind-the-scenes' talks between Hitler and his group and also with Mussolini.
The Battle: A New History of Waterloo
by Alessandro Barbero
List Price: $28.00 Hardback: 400 Pages
Publish Date: July 20, 2005
Review by Brian Williams
As The Battle: A New History of Waterloo by Alessandro Barbero
(translated by John Cullen) states on the front book flap, it is a "majestic
new account of the the historic battle [and] gives voice to all the
nationalities that took part. Invoking the memories of British, French,
and Prussian soldiers, Barbero meticulously recreates the conflict as it
unfolded, from General Reille's early afternoon assault on the Chateau of
Hougaumont to the desperate last charge of Napoleon's Imperial Guard as evening
settled in."
Prior and Wilson make use of the entire public archive on the battle to recount
each of the sectors of the front. Nothing is left out -- the writers
analyze air superiority, artillery effectiveness, British tactics, disparities
in casualties, British Army peformances, leadership, philosophy and all points
in between.
The Somme
by Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson
List Price: $35.00 Hardback: 368 Pages
Publish Date: May 11, 2005
Review by Brian Williams
The Somme by Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson is a day-by-day,
unit-by-unit detailed examination of the famous WWI battle that cost the
British Army 432,000 casualties. The two men examine and make a
blistering critique of the commanders -- pulling no punches against Haig and
the other commanders. As the front flap of the book states, "Haig is
shown as repeatedly deficient in strategy, tactics, command, and organisation
".
Prior and Wilson make use of the entire public archive on the battle to recount
each of the sectors of the front. Nothing is left out -- the writers
analyze air superiority, artillery effectiveness, British tactics, disparities
in casualties, British Army peformances, leadership, philosophy and all points
in between.
The Pirate Coast, Thomas Jefferson, the first Marines and the Secret Mission of
1805
by Richard Zacks
List Price: $25.95 Hardback: 448 Pages
Publish Date: June 1, 2005
Review by Brian Williams
The Pirate Coast, Thomas Jefferson, the first Marines and the Secret Mission of
1805 is an amazing true story of the secret dealings of the young
United States, a forty-year old diplomat-turned general, the first American
Marines (8 of them), and the civil war of Tripoli. I will say right
off that whenever I picked up this book, I found it difficult to put it down.
Richard Zacks has recreated for us the events between the years of 1803 and
1805 where the young United States found itself caught in an
awkward Mediterranean war against the Barbary Pirates. Through his
research on the subject, we get a unique insider's view of Jeffersonian
politics and early naval operations and politics. The details
provided by Zacks is amazing. We also get into the motives and
politic-dealings of everyone from Thomas Jefferson, the Bashaw Yussef of
Tripoli, General Eaton, Hamet, and the various admirals and officers.
Allied Air Transport Operations South West Pacific Area in WWII
by Robert H. Kelly
List Price: $54.95 Hardback: 414 Pages
Review by Brian Williams
It has been a great joy to read Robert H. Kelly's Allied Air Transport
Operations South West Pacific Area in WWII - Volume One Development of air
transport 1903-1943 . Mr. Kelly is a retired RAAF Squadron
Leader who served in WWII and later as a radio operator on Dakotas and Neptunes
(among other airframes) and also served in Indochina, including Vietnam and
Malaya.
The book itself is hard bound with 414 pages of incredible detail. It has
been extensively researched as is evidenced by the voluminous amount of
information on the various airframes. In short, it is like having a small
Janes - All the World's Transport Aircraft at your disposal.
Bootprints, An Infantryman's Walk Through World War II
by Hobert Winebrenner and Michael McCoy
List Price: $27.95 Hardback: 320 Pages
Publish Date: February 2005
Review by Brian Williams
Bootprints, An Infantryman's Walk Through World War II is a
"tell-it-like-it-was" memoir of Sergeant Hobert Winebrenner. We follow
Winebrenner from Utah Beach, through Normandy, across France (including the
Falaise Gap), into the Rhineland, and into Czechoslovakia as part of the 90th
Infantry Division.
Right from the beginning I found it difficult to put this book down. I
think the thing that really stands out with this book is Winebrenner's
honesty. He doesn't shy away from telling you exactly what he was
thinking. In fact, the style of this book comes across as very personal; as if
Winebrenner is reminiscing about the war with an old buddy.
The Siege of Budapest
by Krisztian Ungvary
List Price: $35.00 Hardback: 512 Pages
Publish Date: March 11, 2005
Review by Brian Williams
The area of operations in and around Hungary is probably one of the least
understood and written about topics of WWII. The city of Budapest, with
its 800,000 civilians, endured a siege that lasted one hundred and two
days by Soviet forces. Over 80,000 Soviet troops, 38,000 German and
Hungarian soldiers, along with 38,000 Hungarian civilians lost their lives
during the defense of the city and the subsequent breakout. Written using
several hundred eyewitness accounts, this book does a magnificant job of
detailing the hardships and suffering of both the soldiers and the
civilians. (The book focuses on the Hungarian and German side of the
battle).
The Longest Winter
by Alex Kershaw
List Price: $25.00 Hardback: 288 Pages
Publish Date: November 30, 2004
Review by Brian Williams
If you read The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw, then you will enjoy his
newest book entitled The Long Winter. As with The Bedford Boys,
Kershaw focuses on the 'human' factor of war, by concentrating on a smaller
band of soldiers. This allows Kershaw to bring the soldiers' characters
more to life by examining their past, family, upbringing, fears, passions, and
what becomes of them after the conflict.
The book is divided into 4 parts: Watch on the Rhine, The Battle of
Lanzerath, War Behind Wire, and Last Battles. Watch
on the Rhine gives the reader a good lead up to the
events leading up to the Ardennes offensive. The Battle of Lanzerath
details the battle itself, War Behind Wire tells of the platoon's time
as POW's, and Last Battles follows the aftermath effects of the
platoon.
Atlas of the Civil War
by Steven E. Woodworth and Kenneth J. Winkle by Alex Kershaw
List Price: $75.00 Hardback: 400 Pages
Publish Date: November 26, 2004
Review by Brian Williams
The Oxford Atlas of the Civil War is a wonderful coffee table-sized book
full (and I mean "full") of maps, charts, illustrations, and
photographs. Lavish maps covering all topics from social history (showing
industry, population, wealth, slaves, etc. by state), to political history
(showing the elections of 1852, 1856 by state, Missouri
Compromise, Kansas-Nebraska Act, to name a few), and of course the
maps of the battles themselves.
Opening the book to a random page, one sees the U.S. as of January
1st, 1860 broken down by state on the left side, and the Secession Vote
(1860-1861) broken down by county (very telling) followed by a map showing
the dates the states seceded on the right side. Since the book is
large, most of the larger maps are a little over 8 inches wide
(some are even larger). So, as someone who loves maps, I love
this book...
The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice
by Alex Kershaw
List Price: $14.95 Paperback: 288 Pages
Publish Date: May 11, 2004
Review by Brian Williams
When I received "The Bedford Boys" I was unsure of what type of book this was.
Well, I knew the history of Bedford Boys somewhat, but not the details. I knew
about the casualties this town received on D-Day, but was not sure of any
specifics, so I was curious as to the exact angle this book would take.
The first half of this book spends a great deal of time building up to the
landings of D-Day by introducing characters and fleshing them out. The reader
gets to know the Bedford Boys in great detail from the telling of their stories
in Bedford and also in their preparation for invasion in England. After reading
about the Bedford Boys in so much detail you have to remind yourself that
you're getting to know these individuals for a reason -- you are hearing their
story and the story of their families, and thus, will understand their
sacrifice...
D-Day: The Greatest Invasion - A People's History
by Dan van der Vat
List Price: $40.00 Hardback: 176 Pages
Publish Date: November 1, 2003
Review by Brian Williams
What is different about this highly illustrated D-Day book is that the author
is a native of Holland. Although young at the time, van der Vat uses his
childhood recollection of the end of the WWII as a source of inspiration for
this collection of personal histories. Van der Vat is the author of many books
to include "Pearl Harbor: The Day of Infamy", "The Atlantic Campaign" and "The
Pacific Campaign: The U.S.-Japanese Naval War, 1941-1945".
This book is a number of things: To begin with, the book is an historical
overview of the Normandy landings. With chapters (just a few are listed here)
such as "The Plan", "A Grand Deception", "Pegasus Bridge", "Utah and Bloody
Omaha", "The Breakout", "Finale at Falaise", the book covers the entire Normany
Campaign and follow-up with good detail.
The first half of this book spends a great deal of time building up to the
landings of D-Day by introducing characters and fleshing them out. The reader
gets to know the Bedford Boys in great detail from the telling of their stories
in Bedford and also in their preparation for invasion in England. After reading
about the Bedford Boys in so much detail you have to remind yourself that
you're getting to know these individuals for a reason -- you are hearing their
story and the story of their families, and thus, will understand their
sacrifice...
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