By Steven Craig Reynolds, Authorhouse, Bloomington IN (2009) Reviewed by David F. Winkler Whereas a recent blog story featured a Curt Marsh review of David Sears Such Men as These, it is timely to review what could be called a companion book by Steven Craig Reynolds that attempts to answer the question “Where do We
By Brian Arthur (Woodbridge, Boydell Press, 2011) Review by NHF Director, Dr. William Dudley (Note: this review and the author’s response originally appeared in Reviews in History. We thank them for allowing this republication.) Among the new books that have emerged coincident with the commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812, Brian Arthur’s
By Benerson Little, Fair Winds Press, Beverly, MA (2011). Reviewed by Capt. Roger F. Jones, USN (Ret.) From the cover, one might be forgiven for thinking that Little’s book could be an “ode to piracy,” but after reading a few pages, it is clear that the author has something very different in mind. He has
By David Sears, Da Capo Press, New York, 2010. Reviewed by Col. Curt Marsh, USMC (Ret.) The author, David Sears who is a former U.S. Navy officer and Vietnam War veteran with service aboard destroyers, has presented a well researched book that chronicles the important contribution of naval aviation to the Korean War effort. Sears’
By Del Staecker, Cable Publishing, Brule, WI, (2009). Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart The author is the son of Irvin H. Staecker who served on board the Lady Gangster from 1941 to 1945. The Lady Gangster was the crew’s name for USS Fuller (APA 6). The ship’s nickname developed from the fact that many of
By Jerome S. Welna, Heritage Books, Westminster, MD, (2009). Reviewed by J. Wandres Jerome S. Welna makes a heroic effort to tell The True Story of a Destroyer Sailor’s Life at Sea During World War II. The first 90 pages give a pocket peek at events causing and leading to World War II. Welna relies
U.S. Fast Battleships 1936-47: The North Carolina and South Dakota Classes U.S. Fast Battleships 1938-1991: The Iowa Class By Lawrence Burr, Osprey Publishing, Leeds (UK) (2010). Reviewed by Norman Polmar With hundreds of books having been written about battleships, the question must be asked: Can these two slim monographs make a contribution to the
By Eric Dietrich-Berryman, Charlotte Hammond, and R. E. White, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2010) Reviewed by Captain Roger F. Jones, U.S. Navy (Retired) This book describes how twenty-two relatively unknown Americans initially fought beside the British by serving in the Royal Navy during the early years of World War II. During this period, the
by Jim Leeke, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2009). Reviewed by JJ Ahern Theodore Roosevelt referred to the Spanish-American War as a “splendid little war.” It is the shortest declared war in United States history – lasting only four months – and catapulted the nation to colonial power with the acquisition of territories in the
by Albert A. Nofi, Naval War College Press. Newport, RI (2010) Reviewed by Corbin Williamson Albert Nofi’s To Train the Fleet for War: The U.S. Navy Fleet Problems, 1923-1940 adds to the growing literature on the interwar United States Navy with a discussion of the organization and course of fleet problems. Nofi is an accomplished
by Carol Smith, www.booksurge.com, Charleston, SC, (2009) 186 pp. Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart While this book focuses on the naval career of Captain John C. Smith U.S. Navy, the book is more than just a biography. Written by his wife Carol, using material gathered from her husband, the book, as written, is autobiographical in
by Norman Polmar and Michael White. Naval Institute Press, 2010. 173 pp. Reviewed by Captain James B. Bryant, U.S. Navy (Retired) The year 1968 was bad for submarines. In January the Israelis and the French lost their diesel-electric powered submarines Dakar and Minerve at sea with all hands and a submerged grounding badly damaged the
by Martin J. Bollinger, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2010), 269 pp Reviewed by Captain Roger F. Jones, U.S. Navy (Retired) This is a very interesting and superbly written book about German glide bombs, a relatively little-known weapon used against the Allied Navies in the Mediterranean and the littoral Atlantic waters of Europe during August
