Images of War: MacArthur’s Papua New Guinea Offensive 1942-1943
Review By Lynne Marie Marx A kidney specialist and author, Jon Diamond penned Images of War: MacArthur’s Papua New Guinea Offensive 1942-1943, and he has had several military history books published, such as Stilwell and the Chindits, War in the South Pacific, and The Rhine River Valley Crossing. His love of history and collection of
From Sun Tzu to Hyperwar – A Strategic Encyclopaedia
Reviewed by Chuck Steele, PhD. Lars Wedin, an accomplished author on strategic studies and retired surface warfare officer of the Royal Swedish Navy, has composed a noteworthy encyclopedia of military thought and strategy that, in some regards, might also be considered a series of personal meditations on those subjects. Citing heightening tensions between great powers
U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, 2010-2014: Anthology and Annotated Bibliography
Reviewed by LTC Victor O. McGee, USA. In October 2014, NATO and the U.S ended combat operations in Afghanistan; however the insurgency reformed and malign forces again were mounting stronger insurrections. Marines redeployed to Afghanistan to continue training Afghan Soldiers and Police Forces to counter act the rebellion. This 6-part collection of 21 commentaries and
They Were Soldiers: The Sacrifices and Contributions of Our Vietnam Veterans
Reviewed by Captain William H. Peerenboom, USN (Ret.) Many Americans, perhaps including the authors, look back on the Viet Nam war as a misguided and mis managed effort. Not only that, these Americans believe that the disdain for the war caused those who fought there – ordinary soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen to suffer loss
The Battalion Artist: A Navy Seabee’s Sketchbook of War in the South Pacific, 1943–1945
Reviewed by CAPT Charles “Herb” Gilliland, USN (Ret.) For any artist—perhaps for any human being–life and art are inseparable. That was certainly the case for Natale (“Nat”) Bellantoni. This strikingly attractive book filled with fine watercolors offers his story as a young artist serving in the 78th Naval Construction Battalion in World War II. Two
Mommy! Watch Me
Reviewed by Captain Lee Duckworth, USN (Ret.) Captain Diane Diekman’s latest book, “Mommy! Watch Me” is the sequel to her 2001 memoir, “Navy Greenshirt: A Leader Made, Not Born.” I reviewed the latter two years ago and expected her latest book to be similar in content to the previous one. However, as the title implies,
Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War
Reviewed by LTC Heiva H. Kelley, USA. In Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War, Eric Hammel, a meticulous military historian and accomplished writer of over 50 books and 70 articles, revisits the Battle of Chosin based on extensive primary source material collected by the author through hundreds of personal interviews with survivors. This book,
Unconditional: The Japanese Surrender in World War II
Reviewed by Jeff Schultz. Marc Gallicchio’s Unconditional: The Japanese Surrender in World War II focuses on the late-war period leading up to the September 1945 Japanese surrender. This important monograph digs deeper than most into the complicated chain of events which resulted in the memorable Tokyo Bay ceremony, using American and Japanese archival sources to
British Town Class Cruisers: Design, Development & Performance; Southampton & Belfast Classes
Reviewed by Charles Bogart. The ten ships that formed the Town Class of light cruisers were the epitome of Royal Navy all gun cruiser development. Armed with twelve 6-inch guns mounted in four turrets, they participated in every European Theater naval campaign of World War II and two of the class also saw action during
Hill Fights: The First Battle of Khe Sanh, 1967
Reviewed by Diana Ahmad, PhD. The legendary siege at Khe Sanh occurred in 1968, but during the spring of 1967, the United States Marines fought in northwestern Quang Tri Province in what became the first stage of the Khe Sanh battles. Rod Andrew, Jr., a history professor at Clemson University and colonel in the Marine
Britain’s Island Fortresses: Defence of the Empire 1756-1956
Reviewed by CDR Derek R. Fix, USN. In Britain’s Island Fortresses, Bill Clements, a former British Army officer and Defense Attaché, provides a detailed account of the evolution of the defenses of the British empire’s strategic overseas island bases. Clements is well-suited to the task, having written two previous books on British fortifications. This book
Operation Chariot: the St Nazaire Raid, 1942
Reviewed by Jeff Schultz Jean-Charles Stasi’s Operation Chariot: the St Nazaire Raid, 1942 explores the audacious World War II British commando raid that disabled the only suitable drydock on the French coast, thereby preventing the German battleship Tirpitz from harassing Allied convoys. In particular, the book provides a concise, well-illustrated overview of the memorable raid
Admiral Gorshkov – The Man Who Challenged U.S. Navy
Reviewed by Hans Christian Bjerg Today, probably very few are familiar with the armament and the dominant role of the Navy of the Soviet Union during the Cold War over three decades away. In the period of 1970-90, the Soviet Navy was able to challenge the U.S. Navy on the World’s Oceans. In the
Minding the Helm: An Unlikely Career in the U.S. Coast Guard
Reviewed by CDR Brian Emory, USN Chief Warrant Officer Kevin P. Gilheany has done a wonderful job delivering a memoir of his service in the Coast Guard. His writing style is easy to read and always engaging in a book that’s can be completed in one sitting or over a weekend. His story begins in
