By First Sergeant Jack R. Ainsworth, USMC, Edited by Ambassador Laurence Pope (Retired), U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Quantico, VA (2011) Reviewed by Colonel Curt Marsh, USMCR Retired This small book Among Heroes, published by the U.S. Marine Corps History Division, is a fairly quick read and well worth the effort. The book is actually
By Angust Konstam, Pen and Sword, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England (2008) Reviewed by Alberto R Savoretti MD Angus Konstam’s Battle of North Cape brings to light this forgotten engagement with balance and flair. The lack of primary sources of the German side of which there were only a few dozen survivors has made it difficult for historians to
By Gordon Williamson, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, UK, (2011). Reviewed by Captain John A. Rodgaard, U.S.Navy (Retired) E-BOAT vs. MTB is Gordon Williamson’s latest contribution to Osprey Publishing Company’s Osprey’s “Duel” series of short works that emphasize the “…account of machines of war pitted against each other and the combatants who operate them.” With E-BOAT vs.
The Naval Historical Foundation recently helped to facilitate the donation of unique squadron records and artifacts to the Navy’s premiere naval aviation museum. The donation of materials from World War II fighter squadrons VF-3 and VBF-3 to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, was made possible by NHF Chairman Admiral Bruce DeMars, USN
M. J. Pearce and R. Porter, ed., University of Plymouth Press, Plymouth, UK (2012). Reviewed by Richard P. Hallion, Ph.D. The battle for Norway is not one of the more extensively studied campaigns of the Second World War, though it certainly has its share of lessons learned-and-lost that anyone interested in maritime affairs should know.
By Mitsuo Fuchida and Masatake Okumiya, Bluejacket Books, Annapolis, MD, (2001). Reviewed by Jason McHale “They had no right to win. Yet they did, and in so doing changed the course of a war…” (Incredible Victory, IX) Walter Lord used these words to describe the American forces that fought at the Battle of Midway. Three
Battle of the Atlantic – 70th Anniversary Conference 23-24 May 2013 Naval Regional Headquarters, Liverpool May 2013 marks the seventieth anniversary of perhaps the major turning point in the Allied victory over the Germans in the Atlantic during the Second World War ‒ the defeat of the Uboats in mid-ocean. The official commemoration in Liverpool
By G. H. Bennett (editor), Britannia Naval Histories of World War II, University of Plymouth Press, Plymouth, UK (2012). Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb, Ph.D. This volume is one of the first in a new series of books on Royal Navy engagements with the Axis Powers during World War II. Battle Summaries from the archives
By Vincent P. O’Hara. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, (2011). Reviewed by Simone C. De Santiago Ramos Much has been written about the German warships Bismarck, Graf Spee, and Scharnhorst and their mêlées while overlooking the lesser known battles during World War II. Vincent O’Hara, an independent scholar tries with his text The German Fleet
By Ian W. Toll, W.W. Norton Company, New York, London, (2011). Reviewed by Rear Adm. Richard Gentz, USN (Ret.) Do not expect an objective review to follow! I was an immediate fan of Ian Toll when I found his first book Six Frigates in a gift shop on the Newport, Rhode Island waterfront. The continued
By Mark Stille, illustrated by Paul Wright, Osprey Publishing, UK, (2011) Reviewed by Alberto R Savoretti, MD Mark Stille’s latest installment is a delightfully refreshing work far and above what its easy reading Osprey/Vanguard primer format suggests: you can’t judge a book by its cover! This work brings new or largely undiscovered material to the
By Steven J. Zaloga, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, UK, (2011) Reviewed by Rear Admiral Ed Keats, U.S. Navy (Retired) In 1944, the Japanese high command realized they had been defeated in the war against the United States. Their efforts then concentrated on procuring the best post-war terms they could gain. They believed the optimum way was
The Naval Historical Foundation, the Association of Naval Aviation, and the Marine Corps Aviation Association recently had the opportunity to commemorate the service and sacrifice of a World War II Marine Corps aviator, and honor the families who were directly affected by his death nearly 70 years ago. A solemn ceremony was held on 6
By Elliot Carlson, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2011). Reviewed by Capt. John A. Rodgaard USN (Ret.) Joe Rochefort is a legend to all United States Navy intelligence professionals and Elliot Carlson’s outstanding biography finally introduces the man behind the legend. The author also lifts the veil of mythology and mystery that has surrounded the
Introduced by J. E. Harrold , University of Plymouth Press, Farnham, UK, (2012). Reviewed by Joseph Moretz. Ph.D. Dark Seas is a reprint of a British Admiralty Battle Summary monograph originally published in 1950 intended for the private use of serving officers (B.R. 1736(35) The Battle of Cape Matapan). As a summary, it eschewed any
