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Review Date: 4/25/2021
The plain and simple version is this is a very in the moment book. There is not a long drawn out introduction of who the people are, that is done simply throughout the first portion of the book.
Straight to the point this book is about what happened on a single day in a single battle. It conveyed all the confusion of battle and how things like this were won or lost at the lowest level. Once the battle was engaged it was the company commander and below decision making that carried the day.
It even showed that with all of our technology and capability, war is still the individual and small teams carrying the battle. It also showed the old adage "no plan survives contact with the enemy". Literally, it the space of a few minutes, weeks of planning went to crap. After that it was decision-making decision making looking through a straw.
This book was not intended to be an analysis of the campaign overall or even this one battle. This book was intended to bring to the reader that horror that is war. Given that intent it succeeded.
This book should be mandatory reading for every officer in command of a combat unit from the battalion level up and then reread every few years to remind them that decisions made high on the mountain affect everyone in the valley.
Straight to the point this book is about what happened on a single day in a single battle. It conveyed all the confusion of battle and how things like this were won or lost at the lowest level. Once the battle was engaged it was the company commander and below decision making that carried the day.
It even showed that with all of our technology and capability, war is still the individual and small teams carrying the battle. It also showed the old adage "no plan survives contact with the enemy". Literally, it the space of a few minutes, weeks of planning went to crap. After that it was decision-making decision making looking through a straw.
This book was not intended to be an analysis of the campaign overall or even this one battle. This book was intended to bring to the reader that horror that is war. Given that intent it succeeded.
This book should be mandatory reading for every officer in command of a combat unit from the battalion level up and then reread every few years to remind them that decisions made high on the mountain affect everyone in the valley.
Review Date: 5/18/2018
At this point in time the book has become somewhat dated but it does still raise a lot of valid points as to why NATO has run its course and its time for the US to move on. The biggest point being that the other members are wholly dependent on this country to defend them. Other than the big three (Germany, France, Britain) none of the others are even remotely capable of any sort of military action worth mentioning let alone a protracted military operation. Case in point the Libyan air campaign. The US started it turned it over to NATO who quickly had to come back to the US for logistical support because they ran out of bombs and fuel within week.
Europe needs the US militarily far more than the US needs Europe. NATO needs the US to spend the lion's share of defense spending so they can have all their social programs which they then chastise the US for not having.
Another classic example of NATO in search of mission that is foreshadowed in this book was Afghanistan which the US pressured NATO into participating to give it relevance. Afghanistan should have never been a NATO mission, it should have been a UN mission but then again given the level of corruption and anti-US sentiment there its not surprising the US turned to NATO.
The Balklans in the 1990's was a great example of how the US got dragged into a problem that was not our's but Europe's to begin with. NATO members sat on their hands until the US agreed to become involved and again provided the bulk of the cost and support. We gained absolutely nothing but more debt and animosity in that part of the world.
Its time for the US to seriously reconsider our role in NATO. I'm not advocating complete withdrawal but maybe its time for Europe to defend Europe.
Europe needs the US militarily far more than the US needs Europe. NATO needs the US to spend the lion's share of defense spending so they can have all their social programs which they then chastise the US for not having.
Another classic example of NATO in search of mission that is foreshadowed in this book was Afghanistan which the US pressured NATO into participating to give it relevance. Afghanistan should have never been a NATO mission, it should have been a UN mission but then again given the level of corruption and anti-US sentiment there its not surprising the US turned to NATO.
The Balklans in the 1990's was a great example of how the US got dragged into a problem that was not our's but Europe's to begin with. NATO members sat on their hands until the US agreed to become involved and again provided the bulk of the cost and support. We gained absolutely nothing but more debt and animosity in that part of the world.
Its time for the US to seriously reconsider our role in NATO. I'm not advocating complete withdrawal but maybe its time for Europe to defend Europe.
Review Date: 10/15/2012
Well, this was another pretty good history book for me. It was a condensed review of the Cold War covering not only military but political, economic and social events that had some sore of impact either on the the Cold War or because of it. I only have two issues with the book in that I think the author rushed it in order to be one of the first books out on the Cold War and that at the end he has a rather scathing review of the Reagan-Thatcher era and capitalism which I think was a little over the top. Otherwise a pretty good book for anyone interested in the Cold War but don't want to be weighed down reading some of the other, more in-depth books on the subject.
Review Date: 7/24/2014
Helpful Score: 1
I started this book on the assumption it would just be an in depth examination of assorted US nuclear weapons accidents since their invention. Pleasantly I was surprised to find that it was much more. The main examination of the book is incident in Damascus, AK, involving a Titan II missile. Interspersed with this story are chapters covering the development not only of nuclear weapons but targeting, command/control, alert procedures and other incidents involving nuclear weapons.
Schlosser does an excellent job keeping to a chronological order and not bouncing around. He repeatedly ties incidents together to prove the point that it took both the Dept of Defense and the Federal government as a whole to learn the critical lessons of having nuclear weapons. There were a multitude of accidents that could have easily been avoided if the decision-makers had listened to the real experts, the people who built the bombs and warheads to begin with.
During the Damascus Accident, Schlosser points out the obvious almost comically stance that the US Air Force took in their obstinate refusal to confirm or deny that a nuclear warhead was involved. I mean really did they think that the general public wouldn't pick up on this when it involved a ICBM unless their is some sort of secret policy to only put warheads on some of the missiles to keep the Ruskies guessing which missiles are actually armed.
This book is a must read for military history buffs. The flip side is that I would also recommend it for any decision maker in any organization. During the response to the Damascus Accident the response with repeat with missed opportunities to resolve the problem before the explosion. Time and time again commanders on scene either refused to take action or had their hands tied by higher ups hundreds of miles away.
In the end the reader will come away from this book wondering how the hell we did not accidentally wipe out at least one of our own cities or military bases. It will actually scare you how close we came a few times.
Schlosser does an excellent job keeping to a chronological order and not bouncing around. He repeatedly ties incidents together to prove the point that it took both the Dept of Defense and the Federal government as a whole to learn the critical lessons of having nuclear weapons. There were a multitude of accidents that could have easily been avoided if the decision-makers had listened to the real experts, the people who built the bombs and warheads to begin with.
During the Damascus Accident, Schlosser points out the obvious almost comically stance that the US Air Force took in their obstinate refusal to confirm or deny that a nuclear warhead was involved. I mean really did they think that the general public wouldn't pick up on this when it involved a ICBM unless their is some sort of secret policy to only put warheads on some of the missiles to keep the Ruskies guessing which missiles are actually armed.
This book is a must read for military history buffs. The flip side is that I would also recommend it for any decision maker in any organization. During the response to the Damascus Accident the response with repeat with missed opportunities to resolve the problem before the explosion. Time and time again commanders on scene either refused to take action or had their hands tied by higher ups hundreds of miles away.
In the end the reader will come away from this book wondering how the hell we did not accidentally wipe out at least one of our own cities or military bases. It will actually scare you how close we came a few times.
Crossing the Rhine: Breaking into Nazi Germany 1944 and 1945-The Greatest Airborne Battles in History
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
3
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
3
Review Date: 6/26/2014
Alright, I'm a World War II buff when it come to books and as a former paratrooper drawn to stories of my fellow airborne brethren. Admittedly any book that covers Operation Market Garden is going to be compared to A Bridge Too Far which I read so many years ago.
With that being said I have to say this was a very good book. It did not examine Market Garden in isolation in the totality of the war at the time. Clark includes the ongoing self-promotion of Montgomery who was trying to trying to win the war all by himself by using American troops and supplies. Clark knows that the definitive history of the operation is the fore mention book so he does not try to reinvent the wheel. He examines the battle not only in the historical sense but the personal sense. There is a very liberal sprinkling of first hand narratives throughout the book. This draws in the reader in driving how just how much this battle, just as all others, is not emotionless point in history worth study or entertainment.
Well Clark excels beyond A Bridge Too Far is how he ties it into the conduct of the rest of the war and specifically Operation Plunder Varsity. Clark details how the Allies were smart in quickly examining what went right and what went wrong in Market Garden. Those costly lessons were applied to the next great airborne drop to seize and secure the east bank of the Rhine.
This is a great book for any avid World War II reader or military history in general. This is also a book that should be read by today's military leaders from squad to combatant command. Its lessons of not taking into account what can go wrong are just as critical today as they were when overlooked then. Its also a great example of highly motivated small groups of troops can do.
With that being said I have to say this was a very good book. It did not examine Market Garden in isolation in the totality of the war at the time. Clark includes the ongoing self-promotion of Montgomery who was trying to trying to win the war all by himself by using American troops and supplies. Clark knows that the definitive history of the operation is the fore mention book so he does not try to reinvent the wheel. He examines the battle not only in the historical sense but the personal sense. There is a very liberal sprinkling of first hand narratives throughout the book. This draws in the reader in driving how just how much this battle, just as all others, is not emotionless point in history worth study or entertainment.
Well Clark excels beyond A Bridge Too Far is how he ties it into the conduct of the rest of the war and specifically Operation Plunder Varsity. Clark details how the Allies were smart in quickly examining what went right and what went wrong in Market Garden. Those costly lessons were applied to the next great airborne drop to seize and secure the east bank of the Rhine.
This is a great book for any avid World War II reader or military history in general. This is also a book that should be read by today's military leaders from squad to combatant command. Its lessons of not taking into account what can go wrong are just as critical today as they were when overlooked then. Its also a great example of highly motivated small groups of troops can do.
Review Date: 11/30/2012
I started this book with a serious amount of trepidation thinking that it would be just another cheap bashing of Michael Brown, FEMA Director at the time of Katrina. This is because I have a bachelors degree in emergency management, Im FEMA Advanced Professional certified, voluntary on an animal disaster rescue team and my day job is in the first responder field in Florida. I was here for the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. I also run a blog on personal preparedness.
After Katrina there was a flood of books that in order to get them out quickly took the easy route which was to blame everything on Brown even though it did not take much research to show otherwise, not so with this book. Disaster is actually a very well research and laid out book. Even for all the stuff that I already knew there was considerable amount of new information in here. The book centers its argument on the behind the scenes action that were going on or not going on as the case maybe at the Department of Homeland Security. Here the book lays most of the blame where it belongs on Chertoff and more importantly the bureaucracy of Homeland Security. While Brown made is share of mistakes he was far from the sole source of the train wreck that became the Federal Governments response to Katrina. There are even examples of things that Brown warned about in the 2003 reorganization that came true in 2005.
In the bid for sensationalistic news Brown became an easy whipping boy for the media in 2005 and Chertoff was more than happy to let it happy because it kept media from looking too closely at his role. To prove and validate this point the authors looked at FEMA and Homeland Securitys actions for Rita and Wilma. Not only did Homeland Security not learn anything they doubled down on the mistakes made in Katrina.
While understanding that the emphasis of the book was an examination of the Federal response there are some instances where Louisiana (Gov Kathleen Blanco) and New Orleans (Mayor Ray Nagin) were given too much of pass.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who thinks that government is always the answer and that the higher you go the better.
After Katrina there was a flood of books that in order to get them out quickly took the easy route which was to blame everything on Brown even though it did not take much research to show otherwise, not so with this book. Disaster is actually a very well research and laid out book. Even for all the stuff that I already knew there was considerable amount of new information in here. The book centers its argument on the behind the scenes action that were going on or not going on as the case maybe at the Department of Homeland Security. Here the book lays most of the blame where it belongs on Chertoff and more importantly the bureaucracy of Homeland Security. While Brown made is share of mistakes he was far from the sole source of the train wreck that became the Federal Governments response to Katrina. There are even examples of things that Brown warned about in the 2003 reorganization that came true in 2005.
In the bid for sensationalistic news Brown became an easy whipping boy for the media in 2005 and Chertoff was more than happy to let it happy because it kept media from looking too closely at his role. To prove and validate this point the authors looked at FEMA and Homeland Securitys actions for Rita and Wilma. Not only did Homeland Security not learn anything they doubled down on the mistakes made in Katrina.
While understanding that the emphasis of the book was an examination of the Federal response there are some instances where Louisiana (Gov Kathleen Blanco) and New Orleans (Mayor Ray Nagin) were given too much of pass.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who thinks that government is always the answer and that the higher you go the better.
Review Date: 11/17/2013
Helpful Score: 1
Back in the 1980's the major concen of the US Govenment was that Columbia would fall to the cartels and they woud be running their own country. We would pump billions of dollars into a proxy war to keep that from happening but little did we realize that the threat was closer, much closer.
Over the past 20 years we have watched on our nightly news how the situation in Mexico has deteriorated as what started out as a drug war to reign in the cartels as turned into an insurgency. This is where the book picks up.
The gist of the book is whether or not the killing of a high ranking DEA agent's bother was a hit, therefore a warning, or not. The narrative flips back and forth between the murder investigation and the history of narcotics trafficking in Mexico. It is left to the reader to decide if the two are connected. There is also an extensive amount of speculation or innuendo over how much the US Government knows, tolerates or condones.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the "drug war" and how it is being handle on either side of border. One thing is for sure that when you are done reading you will be infuriated at what the Feds are doing and not doing at the same time.
Over the past 20 years we have watched on our nightly news how the situation in Mexico has deteriorated as what started out as a drug war to reign in the cartels as turned into an insurgency. This is where the book picks up.
The gist of the book is whether or not the killing of a high ranking DEA agent's bother was a hit, therefore a warning, or not. The narrative flips back and forth between the murder investigation and the history of narcotics trafficking in Mexico. It is left to the reader to decide if the two are connected. There is also an extensive amount of speculation or innuendo over how much the US Government knows, tolerates or condones.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the "drug war" and how it is being handle on either side of border. One thing is for sure that when you are done reading you will be infuriated at what the Feds are doing and not doing at the same time.
Review Date: 3/24/2013
One of the issues of alternative fiction is creating the opening scenerio that starts the chain of events that would have happened if "what if" had happened to begin with. The indication of good alternative fiction book is one that makes it all believable that this could have really happened. There are books in this genre that instead of one or two changes creating a cascade authors want to change a whole slew of events in a single moment losing crediability.
Fortunately, this book is not one of those. Conroy started the book with simple event that would have immense impact on the direction of the war and how he lays it out is very believable. What follows is a great story line that keeps the reader engaged. Suprisingly, some of the main players on the German side aren't who you would think.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys alternative history fiction. Its fast past reading makes it pager turner. The only disappointment was that the ending seemed kind of rush as if there was a limitation to the remain number of pages that he could use; otherwise, this was a great read.
Fortunately, this book is not one of those. Conroy started the book with simple event that would have immense impact on the direction of the war and how he lays it out is very believable. What follows is a great story line that keeps the reader engaged. Suprisingly, some of the main players on the German side aren't who you would think.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys alternative history fiction. Its fast past reading makes it pager turner. The only disappointment was that the ending seemed kind of rush as if there was a limitation to the remain number of pages that he could use; otherwise, this was a great read.
How Hitler Could Have Won World War II : The Fatal Errors That Led to Nazi Defeat
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
2
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
2
Review Date: 2/25/2013
Im a great fan of alternate history both fictional and extrapolation. Bevin Alexanders book How Hitler Could Have Won World War II: The Fatal Errors that led to Nazi Defeat is of the latter category. Extrapolating an alternate history is difficult to due to the fact that just because one alters a few key events does not necessarily mean that the future would have played out like the author predicts; however, it does make food for thought on how things could have been. This was the hope that I had when I started this book. How would Alexander play out the battles and campaigns that he had selected? How did he see the tide moving if General So-And Such had done this not that?
Unfortunately, Alexander failed to follow through this the premise of his book. Basically, he took several key battles or campaigns in condensed versions mixed with a few should have sentences or paragraphs. This is very little in-depth analysis of how these pivotal battles could have altered history is something different had been done. Its not like Alexander did not have material to work with as much of what he proposed were courses of action that the German generals wanted to do in the first place only be over ridden by Hitler. All Alexander had to do what play them out in a realistic, logical manner to support his thesis but he doesnt. In reality the book is little more than a Cliff Note compilation of battles that are more extensively written about.
Not to be completely harsh on the book, Alexander does do an excellent job of covering these battles. This is a great book for someone who wants to read about these events without being bogged down by some of the weightier tomes out there. I just wish there was a little less what did and a little more what if.
Unfortunately, Alexander failed to follow through this the premise of his book. Basically, he took several key battles or campaigns in condensed versions mixed with a few should have sentences or paragraphs. This is very little in-depth analysis of how these pivotal battles could have altered history is something different had been done. Its not like Alexander did not have material to work with as much of what he proposed were courses of action that the German generals wanted to do in the first place only be over ridden by Hitler. All Alexander had to do what play them out in a realistic, logical manner to support his thesis but he doesnt. In reality the book is little more than a Cliff Note compilation of battles that are more extensively written about.
Not to be completely harsh on the book, Alexander does do an excellent job of covering these battles. This is a great book for someone who wants to read about these events without being bogged down by some of the weightier tomes out there. I just wish there was a little less what did and a little more what if.
Infantry Combat : The Rifle Platoon: An Interactive Exercise in Small-Unit Tactics and Leadership
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
3
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
3
Review Date: 5/17/2013
Helpful Score: 1
When I first saw this book years ago it was after I had left military service. I spent eight years in the US Army infantry: 1 1/2 years mechanized, 6 months long-range surveillance, 2 years air assault with the 101st including Desert Shield/Storm, 3 1/2 with the 82nd and 4 years with USAFR forward airfield defense security forces squadron. In the Army my specialty was heavy anti-armor missile (i.e. the TOW). I had served in every crew position, squad leader, section leader, NBC NCO and air assault instructor. So I know a thing or two about infantry operations.
I looked forward to reading this book to see how I would do in what decisions I would make as envisioned by an officer. I liked how the book was laid out with the reader being able to make certain decisions and other points being left up to chance with the roll of the dice. I was a little hesitant in how the premise of the book was laid out. I light infantry platoon put in a location with little support facing an enemy heavy task force. The deck appeared stacked.
In the first run I died. In the second run I died. In the third run I was captured and so and so on. It got to the point where I started skipping ahead to various points and pretty much everyone of them ended with the reader dying, being captured or severely wounded needed evacuation and the platoon being wiped out. A couple of the outcomes were so unrealistic as to be a complete farce. Basically the reader will come away from this book believing that being in the infantry is akin to committing suicide.
I understand that Antal was an armor officer and that there has always been professional rivalry between armor and infantry but this was ridiculous in how it was played out. Communications failed early on and were never restored, a company in defense was somehow overwhelmed by a small enemy air assault even after being warned.
Anyone who thinks this book is a realistic portrayal of the US Army Infantry is delusional. Anyone who thinks this book would be a great training tool for future officers should have his head examined. I fully understand that this is a work of fiction but Antal presented this book as being a "realistic" examination of decision-making when the only thing realistic about it was that's hot in the desert.
I had already ordered "Armor Platoon" when I started reading this. We'll see if I get beat up as bad there or if as I suspect the tankers will win the day.
I looked forward to reading this book to see how I would do in what decisions I would make as envisioned by an officer. I liked how the book was laid out with the reader being able to make certain decisions and other points being left up to chance with the roll of the dice. I was a little hesitant in how the premise of the book was laid out. I light infantry platoon put in a location with little support facing an enemy heavy task force. The deck appeared stacked.
In the first run I died. In the second run I died. In the third run I was captured and so and so on. It got to the point where I started skipping ahead to various points and pretty much everyone of them ended with the reader dying, being captured or severely wounded needed evacuation and the platoon being wiped out. A couple of the outcomes were so unrealistic as to be a complete farce. Basically the reader will come away from this book believing that being in the infantry is akin to committing suicide.
I understand that Antal was an armor officer and that there has always been professional rivalry between armor and infantry but this was ridiculous in how it was played out. Communications failed early on and were never restored, a company in defense was somehow overwhelmed by a small enemy air assault even after being warned.
Anyone who thinks this book is a realistic portrayal of the US Army Infantry is delusional. Anyone who thinks this book would be a great training tool for future officers should have his head examined. I fully understand that this is a work of fiction but Antal presented this book as being a "realistic" examination of decision-making when the only thing realistic about it was that's hot in the desert.
I had already ordered "Armor Platoon" when I started reading this. We'll see if I get beat up as bad there or if as I suspect the tankers will win the day.
Review Date: 10/15/2012
Helpful Score: 1
Let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan of alternate military history and was really looking forward to this book. However, as I ready along I was somewhat disappointed. Why this book does fall in the genre of alternate history it is more of a backdrop to the story of the various characters. While it made for in interesting and sometimes exciting reading does not quite live up to the alternate history genre.
SPOILER ALERT
Starting with the defeat of the US Navy at Midway, the author starts with MacArthur using political manuvering to single the Pacific Theater as a single command with him in charge instead of the historic division. Then as the story follows several characters the author does into great detail about them at times and there actions at that moment but when it comes to the alternate history part only gives a momentarily passing mention to it. One example when talking about the bypassed Iwo Jima and one of the characters thinking what a blood bath it would have been had the Marines invaded that island. None of the alternative decisions are giving any thought or discussion as too why it was done instead of what really happened other than it fit in the grand scheme of MacArthur's return to the Phillipines.
SPOILER ALERT
Starting with the defeat of the US Navy at Midway, the author starts with MacArthur using political manuvering to single the Pacific Theater as a single command with him in charge instead of the historic division. Then as the story follows several characters the author does into great detail about them at times and there actions at that moment but when it comes to the alternate history part only gives a momentarily passing mention to it. One example when talking about the bypassed Iwo Jima and one of the characters thinking what a blood bath it would have been had the Marines invaded that island. None of the alternative decisions are giving any thought or discussion as too why it was done instead of what really happened other than it fit in the grand scheme of MacArthur's return to the Phillipines.
Review Date: 11/17/2013
Helpful Score: 3
There are all kinds of books out there on surviving the upcoming apocalyps so how do you make your's stand out? You write it as a fictional novel.
This book is set in the not so distant future where the American economy has collapsed and the world has gone to hell in a handbasket. Our trusty survivalists, who had the foresight to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in preparing, all head for the hills when things start to go bad and hunker down for the impending chaos that is about to ensue.
Once you get past the true purpose of this book which is a survival manual then it makes for a decent adventure read but I say this with a couple of coviots. First of all anyone connect with the government is an incompetent, corrupt moron according to the author. Second, when the Federal Government attempts to reestablish itself it uses troops from Europe which are all portrayed as basically a barbarian horde that has absolutely no morals and makes Ghenghis Khan look like a saint. At one point there is even a moral disconnect that the author doesn't seen to have a problem with when our stalwart heros are horrified at something the European troops do but then turn around and do it themselves.
Towards the beginning of the book there is a chapter that is a little side story that has nothing to do with the rest of the book. Its purpose is to explain of most of the gun laws are unconstitutional and a very twisted interpretation of laws, codes and regulations to show that you can drive, whoops excuse me, "travel" on roadways without having to register your vehicle or get a driver's license.
If this type of genre interests you then it makes for a good adventure read, just don't take it too seriously.
This book is set in the not so distant future where the American economy has collapsed and the world has gone to hell in a handbasket. Our trusty survivalists, who had the foresight to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in preparing, all head for the hills when things start to go bad and hunker down for the impending chaos that is about to ensue.
Once you get past the true purpose of this book which is a survival manual then it makes for a decent adventure read but I say this with a couple of coviots. First of all anyone connect with the government is an incompetent, corrupt moron according to the author. Second, when the Federal Government attempts to reestablish itself it uses troops from Europe which are all portrayed as basically a barbarian horde that has absolutely no morals and makes Ghenghis Khan look like a saint. At one point there is even a moral disconnect that the author doesn't seen to have a problem with when our stalwart heros are horrified at something the European troops do but then turn around and do it themselves.
Towards the beginning of the book there is a chapter that is a little side story that has nothing to do with the rest of the book. Its purpose is to explain of most of the gun laws are unconstitutional and a very twisted interpretation of laws, codes and regulations to show that you can drive, whoops excuse me, "travel" on roadways without having to register your vehicle or get a driver's license.
If this type of genre interests you then it makes for a good adventure read, just don't take it too seriously.
Sacred Vessels: The Cult of the Battleship and the Rise of the U.S. Navy
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
1
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
1
Review Date: 8/11/2013
I was hitting my teenage years when Reagan started his military buildup and the four Iowa class battleships were brought out of retirement. A point of bias disclosure I'm from Iowa and I remember the mocking quotes that this was like digging up Custer to modernize the Army.
So when I first saw this book I was egger to read it and I went into it understanding that the author had the stance that the battleship was a vessel over rated and always short of actual performance measure. He then sets about to support his thesis.
Overall, Scared Vessels is an excellent history of transition from wooden sailing ships to metal hull ships and the development of the battleship. What is interesting as the author develops this history is that he starts out on a world view and keeps this up until World War II and then its as if the rest of the world's battleships have all suddenly disappeared.
Throughout the book Robert O'Connell continually twists and manipulates facts and events in order to fit his mold that the dreadnoughts never severed a function. A few people realize that the second most important naval battle of World War I after Jutland occurred at the Falkland Islands and O'Connell dismisses it by saying that this would have never happened if there had been submarines in the area.
When it comes to World War II, O'Connell has made such a pitch that the battleship was an over rated relic that he completely skips over the Bismarck episode. The author eliminates this wrinkle in his thesis by just ignoring the fact that the Bismarck was a such threat to the merchant fleet that British pulled every ship they had to find her. The British have even admitted that if the Bismarck and Tirpitz had sailed together there was little they could have done to stop that amount of firepower short of stripping the Atlantic of every warship to engage them. He then goes on to dismiss the role they played as part of the carrier task forces by saying it could have by done by other ships. He conveniently leaves out that the US nearly suffered what would have its greatest battle loss had it occurred and that it would have been inflicted by Japanese battleships. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf the American invasion force was left unprotected. It was only by the happenstance of the Japanese admiral thinking he had been discovered and turning around that prevented those behemoths tearing through anchored transports and a few destroyers. Casualties would have been in the tens of thousands.
The ending of the book, the period covering from 1945 to 1992 when the last battleship was taken out of of service is covered in five pages. When the New Jersey arrived off of Vietnam the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army had to respond by moving everything inland out of range of her guns. When the New Jersey arrived off of Lebanon in the 80's they had their first ceasefire in years that last more than a couple of days. Her presence was considered so important that her trash had to be transferred to another ship for disposal so that she never left station. He then taken one incident of errant barrage to dismiss her contribution. The Navy tried an airstrike and in turn had aircraft shot down with one crew man taken prisoner. Airstrikes were only continued after the New Jersey and then the Iowa took out the anti-aircraft batteries protecting the Bakka Valley.
A truly thorough review of battleships' "failures" would have been better done if O'Connell would have spent a little more time examining how they were or were not used verses just constantly beating the drum that the ships themselves were flawed.
This is a great book for someone interested naval history. Just remember that for whatever reason the author has decided that the battleship is a vessel never served any real purpose and should never have been built.
So when I first saw this book I was egger to read it and I went into it understanding that the author had the stance that the battleship was a vessel over rated and always short of actual performance measure. He then sets about to support his thesis.
Overall, Scared Vessels is an excellent history of transition from wooden sailing ships to metal hull ships and the development of the battleship. What is interesting as the author develops this history is that he starts out on a world view and keeps this up until World War II and then its as if the rest of the world's battleships have all suddenly disappeared.
Throughout the book Robert O'Connell continually twists and manipulates facts and events in order to fit his mold that the dreadnoughts never severed a function. A few people realize that the second most important naval battle of World War I after Jutland occurred at the Falkland Islands and O'Connell dismisses it by saying that this would have never happened if there had been submarines in the area.
When it comes to World War II, O'Connell has made such a pitch that the battleship was an over rated relic that he completely skips over the Bismarck episode. The author eliminates this wrinkle in his thesis by just ignoring the fact that the Bismarck was a such threat to the merchant fleet that British pulled every ship they had to find her. The British have even admitted that if the Bismarck and Tirpitz had sailed together there was little they could have done to stop that amount of firepower short of stripping the Atlantic of every warship to engage them. He then goes on to dismiss the role they played as part of the carrier task forces by saying it could have by done by other ships. He conveniently leaves out that the US nearly suffered what would have its greatest battle loss had it occurred and that it would have been inflicted by Japanese battleships. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf the American invasion force was left unprotected. It was only by the happenstance of the Japanese admiral thinking he had been discovered and turning around that prevented those behemoths tearing through anchored transports and a few destroyers. Casualties would have been in the tens of thousands.
The ending of the book, the period covering from 1945 to 1992 when the last battleship was taken out of of service is covered in five pages. When the New Jersey arrived off of Vietnam the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army had to respond by moving everything inland out of range of her guns. When the New Jersey arrived off of Lebanon in the 80's they had their first ceasefire in years that last more than a couple of days. Her presence was considered so important that her trash had to be transferred to another ship for disposal so that she never left station. He then taken one incident of errant barrage to dismiss her contribution. The Navy tried an airstrike and in turn had aircraft shot down with one crew man taken prisoner. Airstrikes were only continued after the New Jersey and then the Iowa took out the anti-aircraft batteries protecting the Bakka Valley.
A truly thorough review of battleships' "failures" would have been better done if O'Connell would have spent a little more time examining how they were or were not used verses just constantly beating the drum that the ships themselves were flawed.
This is a great book for someone interested naval history. Just remember that for whatever reason the author has decided that the battleship is a vessel never served any real purpose and should never have been built.
Sailors to the End: The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
10
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
10
Review Date: 1/26/2013
Helpful Score: 1
One of my best friends from growing up went to the Navy after high school while I went to the Army. After Desert Storm we ended up back home at the same time and I remember him telling me about his flight deck job in the arresting crew. The area of the carrier where this book takes place. So, when I came across this book I knew I had to read it if to just a greater sense of what life was like on a carrier. The whole time I was reading it I could help but think of him. I also thought back to my own narrowly avoided demise when riding on the roof of a HMMWV that rolled over in a drainage ditch.
Freeman does not only an excellent job of creating a harrowing picture of that day but always connecting the reader to the sailors. This is book is not just a mechanical resotation of what occurred but brings life to the people involved building up the moment that things started going horribly wrong. Like a good suspense novel, I found myself reading on to the next page to find out what happens to everyone, who lived, who died making this all the more tragic to read because its not a suspence novel.
Early in my military career I had a first sergeant put it very simply, this equipment was meant to kill and it did not care who so you had to treat it accordingly. This book drives that lesson home so sucessfully. A couple of shortcuts in procedures brought together other elements that created this momentarily hell on this ship.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a better understanding of members of the military do especially for those who have never served. This should help people to understand that truly there is no amount of pay or benefits that can be given to people that when life-threatening danger roared to life they ran not to safety but into the inferno.
Freeman does not only an excellent job of creating a harrowing picture of that day but always connecting the reader to the sailors. This is book is not just a mechanical resotation of what occurred but brings life to the people involved building up the moment that things started going horribly wrong. Like a good suspense novel, I found myself reading on to the next page to find out what happens to everyone, who lived, who died making this all the more tragic to read because its not a suspence novel.
Early in my military career I had a first sergeant put it very simply, this equipment was meant to kill and it did not care who so you had to treat it accordingly. This book drives that lesson home so sucessfully. A couple of shortcuts in procedures brought together other elements that created this momentarily hell on this ship.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a better understanding of members of the military do especially for those who have never served. This should help people to understand that truly there is no amount of pay or benefits that can be given to people that when life-threatening danger roared to life they ran not to safety but into the inferno.
Sixth Fleet Under: Supercarrier Combat in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
1
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
1
Review Date: 10/15/2012
As a fan of military fiction I was disappointed in this book. Granted I wasn't expecting Red Storm Rising but this book was lacking. For example, several pages were devoted to one character explaining his flight simulation program so given the amount of space taken up in the story one would expect it to play some pivitol role later, it didn't. On the other hand major battles were covered in only a few pages.
Even taking into account that this is fiction, parts of the story line are completely inplausible to believe.
If you like military fiction, it makes for a nice quick read but don't set your expectations too high otherwise you will be serisously let down.
Even taking into account that this is fiction, parts of the story line are completely inplausible to believe.
If you like military fiction, it makes for a nice quick read but don't set your expectations too high otherwise you will be serisously let down.
Review Date: 2/10/2013
I grew up with Star Wars and it is my all time favorite movie. So much so that no one will play Star Wars Trivia with me! My nephew tried once, it was was a massacre.
On top of that I'm a Darth Vader fan with a small collection that has about 25 pieces in it. So with that said when I say this book just knew I had to read it. Great book for for anyone who is a fan of the movies and especially a DV afficando. Lots of interesting tidbits, facts and side notes on how the character was develop and the his story plotted. I especially like reading about merchandising of Darth Vader, that in the beginning he was almost completely overlooked.
The book is filled with pictures, drawings and schematics. There is even a section on how people were to put the costum on when making an appearance at an event. One of the best things that I liked were the poster prints and other renditions from around the world.
This is one of those books that you read just because its fun to read because in the end all you get out of this is more useless Star Wars trivia but it does make for great distraction reading!
On top of that I'm a Darth Vader fan with a small collection that has about 25 pieces in it. So with that said when I say this book just knew I had to read it. Great book for for anyone who is a fan of the movies and especially a DV afficando. Lots of interesting tidbits, facts and side notes on how the character was develop and the his story plotted. I especially like reading about merchandising of Darth Vader, that in the beginning he was almost completely overlooked.
The book is filled with pictures, drawings and schematics. There is even a section on how people were to put the costum on when making an appearance at an event. One of the best things that I liked were the poster prints and other renditions from around the world.
This is one of those books that you read just because its fun to read because in the end all you get out of this is more useless Star Wars trivia but it does make for great distraction reading!
Review Date: 1/18/2013
Helpful Score: 1
I have to admit that I purchased this book based strictly on the title which I really try to avoid doing because I'm usually disappointed. Well, this time around I was..... disappointed. Instead of Top Secret Tourism a more fitting title should have been Conspiracy Tourism. While the book does provided some interesting tidbits about some of these places and in someways does make for a useful book if you ever wanted to visit any of these places, it goes overboard when it starts talking about FEMA. (Still trying to understand people who criticize the government for attempting to be prepared for disasters and emergencies but then criticize the government for building these facilities!) There is also a lengthy (by this book's standard) section about CIA, cover-ups and drug smuggling all based on conjecture. So, instead of writing up a little history book that people could use because many of these places are actually open to the public, most of the writing quickly devolves into conspiratorial ravings with little to no evidence to support his writings. Its a fun read but just remember to take everything with grain of salt and for a couple of them you will need a salt shaker.
Review Date: 7/28/2012
Helpful Score: 1
I was really looking forward to this book with its story of gay werewolves. I also knew that it would be of the graphic romance genre. Unfortunately, what I got was more graphic than story. While it was an okay book I was disappointed at how shallow the development of the characters were and even more so that the book became about sex more than anything else. The book's ending was almost written as an after thought it seems like and was hurried.
Now don't get me wrong it was a fun book to read and a change from the more serious natured military, historical or political books that I read; I just want to caution the next reader not to have high literary expectations.
Now don't get me wrong it was a fun book to read and a change from the more serious natured military, historical or political books that I read; I just want to caution the next reader not to have high literary expectations.
Review Date: 7/24/2014
Helpful Score: 2
This book was on my shelf for awhile, not really sure why I got it in the first place once I pulled it out to read it. After awhile the book got rather repetitious: porn/hustling, drugs, disappointment, start over. Chapter after chapter of that, it got old. This was a book I had to force myself to finish. The book had no real depth to it. Yes, lots of people were interviewed to give their respective comments on his life but in the end the whole thing came across as shallow and superficial.
Review Date: 3/11/2013
Helpful Score: 1
Im always up for reading offbeat books on topics that I like and this one did not miss the mark. During war time all kinds of plans get proposed, some legitimate, some you wonder what the hell they were thinking. This book takes a brief look at some of those plans from both sides.
This book is organized by year from 1939 to 1945. These are not in depth examinations averaging just two pages per plan but an overview of the what and why it did not happen. Intermixed is copies of once classified documents about the proposed plan.
Highly recommend for any World War II buff.
This book is organized by year from 1939 to 1945. These are not in depth examinations averaging just two pages per plan but an overview of the what and why it did not happen. Intermixed is copies of once classified documents about the proposed plan.
Highly recommend for any World War II buff.
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