War in the Pacific 1941-1945 (General Military) Review

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(More customer reviews)In March, 2010 HBO is airing the new mini-series, The Pacific, produced by Tom Hanks & Stephen Spielberg. The program is sure to spark a wave of new interest in America's Pacific campaign during WWII. History enthusiasts looking for an introduction to this subject will be well served by this new coffee table book from Osprey Publishing. Those already familiar with the history will enjoy the many photographs, historic objects, and the book's easy-reference organization of info. War in the Pacific, by Richard Overy offers a compact history in an engaging design.
The text has a scrapbook (or maybe government file) quality with color maps, photos, and historic objects to illustrate the story. Each military operation receives a two page spread. There are four or five paragraphs of descriptive text and about seven photos with descriptive captions. Mini biographies of military commanders stand out from the main text, appearing as if they are on cards with paper clipped portraits.
I am especially impressed by the inclusion of facsimiles of period documents and publications. Having read the military records of my grandfather's WWII Army battalion, I can say there is something uniquely immediate and enlightening about reading such primary source material. The book is bound with three pockets holding copies of telling documents such as: a December 8, 1941 telegram from the US Commander-in-Chief Pacific Area warning naval units of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, FDR's notes for his speech to Congress, pages from several battle reports, radio message transcripts, a letter from General MacArthur, and the Japanese Instrument of surrender which ended the war.
Also included is a full copy of the March 9, 1944 issue of Yank Magazine, a propaganda poster, a big pull-out map of the Battle of Midway, and a pocket guide to Australia which was issued to US forces to familiarize them with their allies.
Table of Contents:
Operations Map: Japanese Expansion
Imperial Japan
Pearl Harbor
Blitzkrieg in Asia
Corregidor: Fall of the Philippines
Battle of Coral Sea
Battle of Midway
Battle for the Solomons
Guadalcanal
Operations Map 1943
Operation "Cartwheel": War for New Guinea
Island Hopping in the Pacific: Gilbert and Marshall Islands
Operations Map 1944
Marianas: Defiance to the Death
Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of Peleliu
Recapture of the Philippines
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Operations Map 1945
Iwo Jima
Firebombing of Tokyo
Okinawa
The Atomic Bombs
Japanese Surrender
Index

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You don't have anything like this yet!Check your collections. Never before has such a unique assembly of rare documents been available. WAR IN THE PACIFIC brings to life the story of the heroic actions of the men who fought the relentless war against Japan in World War II. Includes recorded memories, photographs, maps, and actual reproductions of 20 rare key documents and memorabilia: the dispatch to General MacArthur to abandon the Philippines, the "Pocket Guide to Australia" issued to US army and navy forces in 1942, and much more!WAR IN THE PACIFIC is being released to coincide with the much-anticipated 10-part mini-series coming from HBO in March.War In The Pacific 1941-1945 looks at the relentless war against Japan in the Pacific Islands which formed an integral part of eventual Allied victory in World War II. Setting the scene with the unprovoked Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the almost simultaneous attack on US bases on Guam and Wake Island, it then goes on to document the bloody battles fought in the jungle islands of Guadalcanal and the Philippines and the seas of the Pacific.As fortunes turned in 1942 the Allies fought hard to regain lost ground and the intensity of battle did not waver. It tells the story of the heroic actions of the men who toiled on the islands, the names of which have now become synonymous with bloodshed, hardship and unstoppable spirit which eventually resulted in victory for the Allies: Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Rabaul, Guam, Iwo Jima and finally Okinawa.This fascinating and heart-wrenching story is brought to life by the addition of 20 carefully selected facsimile pieces of memorabilia ranging from military orders to propaganda leaflets dropped by the Japanese on US troops to the personal diaries and letters home of both generals, officers and ordinary soldiers.

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Collins Atlas of World War II Review

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(More customer reviews)I chose to purchase this Atlas on account of its author, John Keegan. The Atlas is presented in an an attractive format. Each page contains a description of the battle/era alongside a map portraying the relevant events. The maps are clear, colorful and diverse. Map topics range from political developments (pre-war), strategic military events and tactical battle views, down to the battalion level. Of particular interest I found the Stalingrad map, which clearly displays the city's various districts through an isometric view. It's the first map I saw of its kind, and provides excellent understanding of a battle conducted in urban terrain. On the downside, the pages are too small for my taste, degrading the level of detail in the maps. Additionally, while ideally covered in conventional Atlases, I believe that this Atlas should have provided a geographical survey of the battlefields, describing the topography, demography, climate and land-type. It would have saved me the need of consulting another atlas. All in all, an excellent buy, and an interesting read on its own, although mainly suitable as a companion to other WWII literature.

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A stunning visual account of the greatest conflict in world history.

The Second World War is the largest event in the history of mankind. No populated continent was untouched by its operations, and the political structure of the postwar world has been largely determined by its outcome. The global nature of the war, and the ambitions of the belligerents, meant that it was fought on a scale that, even today, confounds the imagination. It was a stimulus to unparalleled economic activity and provoked the most important clash of ideologies experienced by the world since the Crusades.

The Collins Atlas of World War II furthers our understanding of the war that forever changed our world. The scale and scope of the war is examined here in graphic form, with maps that trace the military campaigns as well as the social and political developments. Authoritative text addresses the issues and events leading to war and all of the clashes and challenges during wartime.

More than 125 full-color maps, diagrams, and timelines
Edited by acclaimed military historian John Keegan
Comprehensive coverage of the prewar world and the world at war
Examination of military plans and key battles
Internet links for further research
Glossary and Index

For anyone with an interest in the history, society, politics, warfare, and culture of the world, the Collins Atlas of World War II is a perfect companion.

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American Aircraft of World War II Review

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(More customer reviews)I picked up this book because I had decided to start doing scale modelling of WWII aircraft. A quick flip through the pages showed some remarkable reproductions of squadron markings and nose art, perfect for what I had in mind. Once I got it I found out exactly what a treasure it is. In addition to American markings there are some from other countries, mostly allied like China, Honduras, Free French, etc. But there are also some pictures of captured aircraft with Luftwaffe markings, something I have never seen before.
In addition to the numerous drawings, including some truly awesome two page all angle views of some of the more famous planes like the P-51, P-47, P-40, and the P-38 (just to name some), the information content for each plane was enormous. Starting with the experimental or test designation, to the first operational version, through the different variants (including the alternate names for export versions) and armament loadouts.
Far beyond what I thought I was getting and well worth twice as much as I paid for it. If you want in-depth information on American built aircraft during WWII, this is a must have book.

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This book provides a useful guide to some 120 aircraft that served with the U.S. Air Force from 1939-1945. Both combat and non-combat aircraft are chronicled by text that details each type's origin, history, and variants, followed by a full technical specification.

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The Yellow Star: The Persecution of the Jews in Europe, 1933-1945 Review

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Revised, updated, and expanded since its initial publication in 1960, and back in print in the United States after 30 years, The Yellow Star: The Persecution Of The Jews In Europe, 1933-1945 is the first photographic account of the Holocaust. The black-and-white images clearly illustrate the horror of Hitler's final solution: starvation, mass theft, mass murder. A disturbing and shocking account to page through, The Yellow Star supplements its images with plain text explaining the extent and methodology of genocide perpetrated by the Nazi regime. A sober and vital reminder of the atrocities humanity is capable of, and the need to prevent the Holocaust from happening again.


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Originally published in 1960 in German as Der Gelbe Stern, this landmark book was one of the first comprehensive photographic accounts of the Holocaust. During the 1950s, researchers in Washington, D.C. and London pored over more than 1,500 tons of photographs and documents seized after World War II.In 1960 Gerhard Schoenberner gathered some 200 photographs from the newly uncovered material, most of them taken by Nazis to chronicle their war against the Jews.Schoenberner named the book after the yellow badge that the Nazis forced the persecuted Jews to wear.With its comprehensive, authoritative presentation of visual and textual evidence, much of which had not yet not been seen before, The Yellow Star shocked the German population and introduced the world to many haunting images.The book endures as one of the most important documentary accounts of the Holocaust, reprinted in many German editions and published in eight languages.The photographs are accompanied by extracts from Nazi and German documents-laws, decrees, and other Reich memoranda, field reports from SS officers and concentration camp directors, newspaper editorials, and other writings.Schoenberner also provides detailed captions to the photographs.Organized chronologically, the book follows the growing scope and terror of the Holocaust, from the first anti-Jewish laws and Kristallnacht to ghetto uprisings and the Final Solution, culminating in the liberation of the death death camps. Each chapter has a narrative introduction by the author.While remaining true to the author's original concept, this new edition is a completely fresh presentation of the photographs and documents, with several enhancements.Schoenberner has added new photographs, replaced others, updated the captions and commentary when necessary, and updated and expanded the bibliography.Even if anti-Semitism were not on the rise in today's world, The Yellow Star would still be an essential book.In photograph after photograph, page after page, the Shoah unfolds as inexorable horror-captured with resonance that remains unequaled.Praise for The Yellow Star:One of the Books of the Century.-Frankfurter Allegemeine ZeitungSince the defeat of Nazism we have seen many books on this subject, yet there are few that could be compared to this one . . . An exceptional work.-Le MondeA must for any library, and school, and household where concern and conscience are alive.-Die Welt

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Nineteen Stars: A Study in Military Character and Leadership Review

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(More customer reviews)"Nineteen Stars" is not intended to be the definitive biographies of Generals Eisenhower, Bradley, Marshall, and Patton, but rather a study of their leadership styles illustrated with specific examples. Puryear provides enough background information on each general to put the various decisions and actions into an understandable context. As a study of leadership and management styles of four successful but very different military leaders, this book accomplishes its goals. Puryear gives the reader adequate appreciation of these general officers and the contributions they made, not to just the war effort, but to the military in general.
Again, this is not intended to be full-blown biographies on these military leaders, but rather a leadership study for young officers and officer candidates. However, this book will serve as an able introduction to the lives of these fascinating men, and will probably inspire a broader audience than just military members to look into more indepth works on these key leaders.

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Puryear follows MacArthur, Marshall, Eisenhower and Patton through the years of their military service in both peace and war.

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Black Cross Red Star: The Air War Over the Eastern Front Volume 3 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the best volume so far of this series. A fast reading and excellent discription of the air war around Leningrad. The best was the portion of the book in the Caucasus air war. The description of the battle around Stalingrad was good but only gave one side of the description from either side in details many times about incidents.Christer Berstrom as always gives a very interesting view of the air war in the Arctic. I still believe it's one of the best descriptions so far to come of this aspect of the war in Russia. This seems to be winning team working on these volumes. Now I'm waiting for volume 4 to finish the story for this campaign in the south. Check out Vlad Antipov's book on "Dragon's On Bird Wings" for further reading of the southern air war from a Russian fighter regiment's view of Stalingrad and the war in the south.

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Red Star Against the Swastika: The Story of a Soviet Pilot over the Eastern Front Review

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(More customer reviews)"Red Star Against the Swastika" is an extremely well written and compelling story, told for the first time.
The book is one of a series of new World War II memoirs by Red Army soldiers and airmen, which provide fresh and valuable insights into the Soviet armed forces of the Great Patriotic War. It remind us that Ivan, the Red Army soldier, was a living, breathing being, who cherished life as much as his counterparts in the West and who was willing to defend his family and his homeland fanatically and lay down his life dearly for all that he loved.
In "Red Star Against the Swastika" Il-2 Shturmovik pilot Vasily Emelianenko remembers his own war against the German Luftwaffe in the skies over Soviet Russia. Developed before the Second World War for the Soviet Air Force, the Il-2 was the first plane optimized for all ground attack and close air support missions. With an armored pilot's compartment, including specially armored glass, and equipped with multiple heavy machineguns and later cannon, the Il-2 played a major role in the Red Army's defeat of the Wehrmacht in Russia.
Emelianenko flew 92 sorties against the Germans, including 80 combat missions. Shot down three times, he always managed to reach home safely, once after another pilot in his squadron landed his own Sturmovik under fire to rescue Emelianenko. For his courage and successful completion of a number of critical missions, the author was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union, Soviet Russia's highest award.
"Red Star Against the Swastika" reminds us of the tremendous sacrifices made by Red Army soldiers and airmen to stop the Germans, even when the odds were stacked against them. "After the first weeks of the war our troops did not have enough fighters and anti-aircraft guns left," writes Emelianenko. "Consequently, squadrons flew their attacks without any cover. German aircraft had complete superiority in the air. Soviet military pilots had to pay tremendous prices, and a very few of those who began the war in summer 1941 lasted until victory came."
But, fortunately, the battle did not always go the Wehrmacht's way, and time after time, the Red Army managed to catch the Germans by surprise: "Approaching Bobruysk the Shturmoviks were flying very low. Anti-aircraft guns began to fire....The leader turned and launched the attack. Missiles hit the row of [German] bombers and exploded, tracer bullets shredded the wings with black crosses....Junkers and Messerschmitts ready for operational flights blazed up. Our aircraft came in time and did not allow the enemy planes to take off!"
By 1943 the tide of battle had shifted and the resurgent Red Army seized the strategic offensive, never to lose it again. "In the fierce cruel struggle we managed to crush the enemy that brought war to our land," remembers Emelianenko, "and there is my part of strain, blood and sweat in it." Indeed. In four years of combat, the author's ground attack aircraft division lost 717 men. Two hundred of those were from the 7th Guards Ground Attack Aircraft Regiment, Emelianenko's unit.
Victory thus came at a horrendous price. By the end of the Second World War, Soviet Russia had lost some 27 million people in the war, including ten million soldiers, sailors and airmen killed. And those that survived were changed forever: "Few people lived through the war without deep scars on their bodies and on their hearts," admits the author.
Emelianenko concludes his story with the following words; "My friends said to me then: 'Those who were killed must live in a book. People myst know about them. And write the truth only!' I have done my best."

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War As I Knew It Review

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(More customer reviews)"War As I Knew It" is not an autobiography. It is not a study of World War II. And it is not a doctoral dissertation. It is simply one of the greatest, most insightful accounts of the campaign in NW Europe, beautifully written by one of history's most charismatic and successful generals.
The book begins with a collection of open letters written by Patton during the time of his campaigns in North Africa and Sicily. For cesnorship reasons, these letters do not contain much battle information, but they provide a unique insight into the man Patton was, and how he dealt with problems that were not military in nature. He discusses his meeting with French and Arab leaders in attempts to protect his rear while he defeated the Germans to his front. The letters from Sicily are similar, discussing not so much tactics but outcomes, reactions, and the like. These early letters show how much Patton was moved around, and the interesting places that he visited.
The main part of the book covers Patton's proudest moments--commanding the U.S. Third Army. This section is wholly unique. Written shortly after they campaign ended with Germany's surrender, Patton describes the actions of Third Army from Normandy to Czechoslovakia. While he does not go into great detail about tactics and such, he provides a window into his own mind. The reader knows what he was thinking when he made his decisions, and the reasons that he made those decisions. In so doing, the reader gets a firm understanding of how an army worked in WW II. Also, he mentions his personal relationships with many different generals...ones you don't read about in history books. In short, this is a first hand account from the man who was a pure warrior.
The concluding section is Patton's gift to future leaders. He was a student of warfare, and his own contributions to the art are invaluable. He discusses everything from the conduct of general officers, to what the best tactics for attack are, to how to deal with trenchfoot! In conclusion, anyone who enjoys military history, or just plain good writing, should read this fascinating book written by a man born for war.

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Hans-Joachim Marseille: An Illustrated Tribute to the Luftwaffe's " Star of Africa " Review

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(More customer reviews)HANS-JOACHIM MARSEILLE: AN ILLUSTRATED TRIBUTE TO THE LUFTWAFFE'S "STAR OF AFRICA"
ROBERT TATE
SCHIFFER PUBLISHING, 2008
HARDCOVER, $49.95, 224 PAGES, PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS, DIAGRAMS, APPENDICESHans-Joachim Marseille, a young German fighter pilot, was the most amazing, unique, and lethal ace of World War II. A non-conformist and brilliant innovator, he developed his own personal training program and combat tactics, and achieved amazing results, including 17 victories in one day; with an average lethality ratio of just 15 gun rounds per victory! Marseille was described by Adolf Galland, the most senior German ace, with these words: "He was the unrivaled virtuoso among the fighter pilots of World War II. His achievements were previously considered impossible."
Marseille, who later became one of the ten most highly decorated German pilots of World War II and was nicknamed "The Star Of Africa" by the German propaganda, ("Jochen" by his friends), had a very uncompromising and problematic start. At age 20, he graduated from the Luftwaffe's fighter pilot school just in time to participate in the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. He initially served in Fighter Wing 52 under Johannes Steinhoff (176 victories). In his third combat sortie, he shot down a Spitfire and by the end of the Battle of Britain; he had seven victories while being shot down four times! Further, his behavior on the ground got him into trouble with his superiors. His charming personality coupled with his love of the night life sometimes caused him to be grounded the following morning. He also loved American jazz, which was politically incorrect in the German military. As a result, he was transfered to another unit as a punishment for "insubordination". His new unit, Fighter Wing 27, was deployed in April, 1941 to the hot deserts of North Africa; where he quickly achieved two more victories but was also shot down again and continued to be a discipline problem.
Lucky for him, his new wing commander, Eduard Neumann, recognized that there might be a hidden potential in the unusual young pilot and helped him get on the right track. With his problems on the ground finally over, Marseille began to deeply analyze his combat activity, and started to improve his abilities.
As a fighter pilot, with an intense physical and professional self-training program developed by himself, Marseille concentrated on these points:
*Vision
*G-Force
*Aerobatics
*Marksmanship
*Intelligence
*Tactics
Marseille's career is one of the most interesting and stellar of any Second World War aviator. In 388 combat missions (482 missions total), he destroyed 158 Allied aircraft in the European, Mediterranean, and North African Theaters of Operation. For the remaining skeptics, please take note of the following: in the North African Theater of Operations, some 1,300 victories were claimed by German pilots. Of those, 674 victories were claimed by only 15 pilots, and the top 55 scoring pilots accounted for 1,042 kills. This points out another basic difference between German and Allied combat philosophy. While the Allies tended to hunt in packs and compete vigorously for kills, the Germans, at least in North Africa, tended to let the best pilots "have at it" while the new pilots would tend to sit back and enjoy the show. This is one reason the loss of an asset like Marseille was so devastating to the Luftwaffe in North Africa. That kind of emotional destruction wouldn't likely accur in Allied squadrons.
Marseille's ingenious tactics were made successful because of his unique and masterful flying abilities. Other pilots tried to emulate Marseille, but failed to master their own aircraft and thus weren't as successful. It is interesting to note, that two of the most successful German pilots in North Africa also used Marseille's tactics to achieve many of their victories. Still many Allied military historians refuse to believe that Marseille was as successful and deadly as the Germans claim. Keep in mind that during the Marianas Turkey Shoot on June 19, 1944, U.S. naval aviator Commander David McCampbell shot down seven Japanese aircraft on a single sortie and another nine on 24 October 1944. Another, U.S. Army Air Corps Major William Shomo, was awarded the Medal of Honor for downing seven Japanese aircraft in a single sortie on 11 January 1945. Many pilots on both sides of the war were credited with multiple kills on single sorties but Marseille just happened to make a deadly habit of it.
The men of Marseille's squadron were so devastated by his death, that the entire I Gruppe ceased to function as a combat unit and were subsequently withdrawn from combat operations for a period of one month. Marseille was buried in the desert with full military honors in the military cemetery in Derna, Libya. To this day, a pyramid, newly dedicated in 1989 stands as both a testimony and honor to his achievements on the site of some of the most severe fighting in North Africa.
HANS-JOACHIM MARSEILLE: AN ILLUSTRATED TRIBUTE TO THE LUFTWAFFE'S "STAR OF AFRICA" is an outstanding tribute to one of Germany's most respected but least known military aviators. This long overdue account is both well-written and lavishly illustrated with many never before published photographs of both the man and his aircraft. Anyone that is interested in World War II aviation should purchase this book. You will not be disappointed.Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard
Orlando, Florida

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America's Fighting Admirals: Winning the War at Sea in World War II Review

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(More customer reviews)The American naval actions of the second world war were some of the most dramatic in the history of sea warfare, taking place over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans alike with an admiral overseeing each action and battle. The battles are here described from the perspective of American admirals who fought them and comes from a World War II navy veteran who not only covers all major campaigns and admiral leaders, but analyzes strategy and decision-making challenges during battle. Serious World War II military collections, particularly those with strong naval history sections, need AMERICA'S FIGHTING ADMIRALS: WINNING THE WAR AT SEA IN WORLD WAR II.

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A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940 Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been called many things during my 35-year writing career, but not, until now, a "Marxist". I have also learned the overall futility of taking up cudgels in a public forum with a hostile critic, but the reader from Colorado's screed is so bizarrely off the mark that I cannot refrain.
Look, pal, ALL wars have "two sides" to them. Stalin did not simply wake up one morning and announce to the Politburo: "Hey, wouldn't it be fun to invade Finland next week?" Soviet foreign policy was certainly naive, bullying, and disasterously uninformed about outside realities. But from the viewpoint of a Soviet strategist in 1939, Finland was suspect. Fact: there WAS a powerful pro-fascist clique in the country that had welcomed German aid before (in 1917) and would do so again (in 1941). Fact: The Red uprising in 1917 WAS put down with ruthless savagery. Fact: Stalin apparently really DID believe Finland would acede to his demands. For me not to have mentioned these things, would have been utterly irresponsible.
As for my comments about Finland "opting for a thoroughly bourgeoise form of government" -- the TONE here is decidedly IRONIC, not ideological. Irony, evidently, sails right past this reader's head.
Be that as it may, his whole hysterical tirade collapses in the face of what I wrote on page 17: "ultimately, of course,it came back down to an irreducible case of right versus wrong. Finland was a sovereign nation, and it had every legal and moral right to refuse any Russian demands for territory. And the Soviet Union, for its part, had no legal or moral right to pursue its policies by means of armed aggression."
I don't know how I could possibly make this point more clearly.
If this reader had bothered even to finish my book, I think he would have seen how fiercely my admiration for the Finns -- indeed, my deepy passionate love for that nation -- burns through the book. Certainly, none of the Finnish reviewers who praised the book saw anything "Marxist" about it, and several lauded its historical even-handedness.
Finally, if my book were indeed the sort of bilious "Daily Worker" tract this reader thinks it is, I hardly think it would have been awarded the Finlandia Foundation's Arts and Letters Prize.
I invite curious readers to judge the book on its own merits and on my skills as a story-teller; I did not write it with any agenda in mind other than that of accuracy, completeness, and narrative vitality. Ninety-nine percent of those who have read it seem to agree that I did at least a passable job shedding light on an otherwise obscure and almost-forgotten, but stirringly heroic, episode.
William R. Trotter

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American Women And World War II (History of Women in America) Review

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(More customer reviews)Weatherford starts well but then throws out the pattern from the first chapter and gets worse by the mouthful. She uses a great deal of personal diary entries in the book which general depict a woman's frustration with her role or world and then Weatherford puts herself in the woman's shoes. For almost every "fact" that she delivers, she then adds her own take on the facts and the woman's position. Weatherford pretty soon becomes one of the diarist's angry entries page after page. For example, she repeatedly uses very petulant phrases like "once again," "finally," "sadly," "unfortunately" and the like to beat the dead horse. She also summarizes situations by making apocalyptic judgments on her data or topic, such as (p. 187) "the government ultimately could have saved itself billions of dollars in welfare costs if it had undertaken then to see that women's wages were raised to a reasonable level" and (p. 272) "Like millions of bright women before and after the war who were forced by their husbands' careers into military and college towns too small for their abilities. . ." Almost every woman described in this book gave 110% for thankless endeavors, got a crust of bread at day's end, walked two miles thru snow daily to reach her job, managed every chore under the sun without complaint, and then went to bed feeling tired but proud that she helped the war effort. Almost every man described in this book is a thoughtless bureaucrat unable to match a woman to a perfect role or place, a faithless husband or GI, a chauvinist -- an idiot in short. ONCE AGAIN, Weatherford editorializes every point and exaggerates every conclusion. The book has some merits and opened my eyes to a few things, but by and large this is hardly an objective account, but rather a tiresome tirade on the old theme of how perfect the world would be if women ruled and men silently followed orders.

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This social history focuses on the role American women played in the workforce during World War II. It describes the huge mobilization of labour necessary to supply US armed forces with machinery and weapons, and the evolution of women's roles in industry as a result of this.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Trapped in Time (Star Trek Deep Space Nine) Review

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(More customer reviews)I loved the DS9 young adult novels when I was younger, so decided to pick this one up. Its very well written (better than some "normal" Star Trek novels) and has an interesting plot and an important message to tell. Other characters to appear besides Jake and Nog are Sisko, Picard, O'Brien and Dulmer and Lucsly, the "time cops" from "Trials and Tribble-ations".

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Jake and Nog are in Paris where they chase a Changeling back in time to the Resistance Movement in Paris in the 1940s. Along the way, Jake meets a girl who turns out to be a distant ancestor of Picard's.

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World War I (DK Eyewitness Books) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book really brought World War I to life. I was surprised at how little I really knew about this war. This may be billed as a kid's book, but people of all ages will enjoy it. It's a great source for learning a lot about the war in a short period of time. The entire Eyewitness series is worth checking out.

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RED STAR AIRACOBRA: Memoirs of a Soviet Fighter Ace 1941-45 (Soviet Memories of War) (v. 2) Review

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(More customer reviews)The book is more or less a typical memoir from the Eastern Front. I read it in one day and enjoyed it for the most part. Unlike another memoir which I read by a pilot, the losses that Mariinskiy's regiment suffered were not at all as bad as they could have been. He definitely served in one of the better formations and had one of the highest scoring aces, Gulayev, flying in the same regiment. Now, the real reason I give this book 4 stars is because of the horrible editing job. Mistakes are quite numerous! On one page you will read about the 29th Guards Fighter Regiment, on another the same regiment is now the 129th. Gulayev is spelled at times as Gulaev. Sandomir is spelled as Samdomir. And so on and so forth, it becomes quite annoying and definitely takes away from the pleasure of reading this book! The translation is also rudimentary at times, it could have been a much better read if time was taken to correct these two problems. Otherwise some of the stories are very interesting although from time to time I found it hard to believe the numbers the author quotes, both those planes he and his squadron encountered and those planes that were shot down, although you never know. Suffice it to say, if you can get by with the lousy editing and crude translation, you might just enjoy this book.

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F-80 Shooting Star Units over Korea (Osprey Frontline Colour 5) Review

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(More customer reviews)Warren Thompson is a friend of mine. I contributed information for his books. In Chapter 5 there is mention of my encounter with a MIG15& I jettioned my Tip Tanks to be more maneuverable & my wingman told me that the MIG on my tail flew Into the tanks. This was never confirmed but so what I got back to K-14 (Kimpo)in one piece. Warren got with pilots like me who flew 100 combat missions to be authentic & not full of stories. He is a Historian & an excellent author. His Chapters regarding F-80Cs deals with the pilots flying Fighter Bomber missions. These pilots along with F-84 pilots took the brunt of combat losses. They did not have easy missions. I lost many friends.
Francis W. Meyer, Major USAF Retired

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Behind Barbed Wire: German Prisoner of War Camps in Minnesota Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a book about a little known or less remembered phase of World War II history as it relates to Minnesota. It suggets the success of the Geneva Convention regarding treatment of prisoners of war in the United States. In the simple presentation of factual information, the author allows us to feel something of the fears, the loneliness, and concerns of prisoners and their willingness to work rather than be idle. The concerns of citizens are also presented clearly concerning escapes, those of labor unions interested in protecting American labor, as well as the general concern about work necessary to pursue the war. It is a facet of the war that most histories neglect.

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More than fifteen POW camps housing German captivesexisted in Minnesota during World War II, although most people, evenmost Minnesotans do not know this. This is the history of those camps,where they were, how they worked, how the POWs contributed to theMinnesota economy during the war years, and, finally, when the campsclosed.

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