By Mark Stille, New Vanguard Series, Osprey Publishing, New York, NY (2017) Reviewed by Michael F. Solecki There were three major types of aircraft carriers in World War II (WWII). The first, very expensive “fleet” carriers, were large, fast, heavily armored, and armed for self-defense, carried over 80 planes designed with major strike and long-range
By John Burton, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2006) Reviewed by Robert P. Largess Since Billy Mitchell’s sinking of the “Ostfriesland” in 1921, the US Army Air Force argued the case for the power of large bombers to defeat naval forces. At the beginning of WWII, British, German, Japanese, and Italian air forces shared this
Edited by Geoffrey S. Corn, Rachel E Van Landingham, and Shane R., Reeves, Oxford University Press, New York, NY (2016) Reviewed by Nathan Albright This book begins with a disclaimer that the views expressed within the publication are those of the respective authors of the chapters/essays and are not necessarily the views of any governmental
By Dr. Alfred Price, First published by William Kimber 1967, expanded 1977, revised 2005, reissued 2017 by Frontline Books, S. Yorkshire, England. Available from the USNI Press. Reviewed by Robert P. Largess Although Dr. Alfred Price died in January of 2017, it is entirely fitting that the first brilliant book by this superb analyst and
By Rear Adm. William Sowden Sims, USN, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (1984) Reviewed by Lt. Cdr. William J. Rogers, USCG (Ret.) The centennial of the United States’ entry into the First World War provides an impetus for reviewing major events of the conflict and revisiting contemporary accounts. The Victory at Sea, Admiral William Sowden
By Adm. James Stavridis, USN (Ret.) and Ancell, R. Manning, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2017) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter Mersky, USNR (Ret.) Advisory books like this are often difficult to organize and write, no matter who the author is. Post-publication comments always include books that were not noted for whatever reason the correspondent expresses,
By Thomas C. Clark, CreateSpace Independent Publishing (2017) Reviewed by Charles Bogart Who was Lt. William Henry Jaques and why write a book about him? How about the fact that in 1896, upon the election of William McKinley as President of the United States, W. H. Jaques was the odds-on favorite to be Assistant Secretary
By William Schleihauf and Stephen McLaughlin, Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, UK (2016) Reviewed by Rear Adm. William J. Holland, Jr. USN (Ret.) This Staff Appreciation was an official study directed to explain and analyze the maneuvers of the British Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland. As students of that period are aware, major controversies erupted
By Thomas J. Cutler, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2017) Reviewed by Nathan Albright In an era where service in the United States military or reserves is no longer a general expectation of a large body of citizens, there can be a vast gulf of ignorance and misunderstanding between the military and the families of
By Timothy C. Winegard, University of Toronto Press; Toronto, Buffalo, and London, UK (2016) Reviewed by Phillip G. Pattee In his latest book, The First World Oil War, Oxford Ph.D. and Colorado Mesa University professor Timothy C. Winegard argues that the Great War was the first time in history that territory was conquered and occupied
By Jerry Kuntz, State University of New York, Albany, NY (2016) Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart Readers of this book encounter the fascinating story of the development of hard hat diving in the United States between the years 1820 and 1880. This period saw hard hat diving develop from being a scientific curiosity to one
By William D. Spidle, Specialty Press, Forest Lake, MN (2017) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter Mersky, USNR (Ret.) Vought’s sleek, high-performance fighter remains an object of fascination and appreciation many years after it left service with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, as well as the French Aeronavale and the Philippine Air Force. I, myself, have
By Douglas C Dildy and Pablo Calcaterra, Osprey Publishing, UK (2017) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter Mersky, USNR (Ret.) The war in the Falklands was something of a surprise coming as it did relatively soon after the Vietnam War and the taking of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam by the Communist government troops from North
By Robert Forsyth, Osprey Publishing, UK (2017) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter Mersky USNR (Ret.) Most readers probably think that by 1943 the U-Boat threat was over. But, it wasn’t. After the so-called Battle of the Atlantic 1940-1942, which pitted German submarines and their crews against the lightly defended Allied convoys, often with disastrous results for
By Istvan Toperczer, Osprey Publishing, Ltd. UK (2017) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter Mersky USNR (Ret.) When the Soviet Union’s MiG-21 appeared in the early 1960s, very little was known about it, which was typical of most new designs from the USSR. Grainy, out-of-focus photos taken at parades and aerial displays did little to add to
