history

didn't buy this book earlier!!! Absolutely top notch history of the special sea-bourne American units at Normandy. Maps & photos and narrative all combine into an informative and captivating tale. Even if you are a D-Day buff with a large reference library, you will learn much from this excellent edition. It seems pricey, but it is worth all of it & more. You will not regret getting this one!
I hope this sets a pattern for books about the British & Canadian units and their efforts and successes that day. When you realise the scope of just the American beach landings, you will see the huge, multi-volume collection that would be needed to address *all* the units involved. Buy it and and spend some time with it.

Jon's book is a invaluable campanion to all the other books on D-Day in my library. It blends a wealth of information from the Assault troops to the Beach battalions to gear information into one excellent volume. I didnt realize how lengthy and informative the book was until it arrived at my home. Thank you Jon for a job well done on the little known aspects of D-Day.

My father was a D-Day medical officer June 6, 1944. Historians who write definitive books about Americans at D-Day and fail to mention the Army/Navy gap assault teams, LCI sailors, Army Engineer Special Brigades and attached Naval Beach Battalions, have left out the "backbone" of the Normandy invasion. Jonathan Gawne's Spearheading D-Day: American Special Units in Normandy set the record straight in 1998. Military authors should not feel bad if their books were published before Spearheading D-Day. Up to 1992, when Gawne first wrote about the "forgotten sailors of the invasion beaches," most naval historians were unaware that their own were some of the first ashore on D-Day. Spearheading D-Day, covering American forces in France, is simply the best invasion book published since Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day.

This is the seventh in O'Brian's 20-volume series. It follows the now well-established formula, as Captain Jack Aubrey and ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin sail smoothly from one book to the next. This book is really two tales, two unconnected sea voyages, split by an interlude in England that feels more like an intermission. Picking up where the previous volume left off, the two find themselves in Canada where Aubrey's behavior may surprise you. The first voyage brings them home for the first time in many months (and three volumes). The heart of the story is the second voyage that takes them to the Baltic for the first time (both for them and for readers) on an intelligence mission. As the voyage ends, they find themselves in France and Maturin at his most interesting in extricating them from a dilemma and in reconnecting with Diana Villiers.

O'Brian is simply a great writer. This series is not for everyone, for the prose is spare and sophisticated, the plotting both delicate enough to sustain readers for many volumes on end, yet bold enough to satisfy fans of adventure tales. The nautical terms are easily mastered, this is not a book for sailors, but for readers who enjoy good adventure stories.

The Surgeon's Mate picks up where The Fortune of War left off. In the previous installment our boys had escaped from Boston just in time to participate in the epic battle between the Chesapeake and the Shannon. Victorious they arrive in Halifax and more trouble begins. Aubrey's lack of land sense and Maturin's unrequited love for Diana continue to cause them problems. In fact they are the underlying tensions that follow them through each episode in the novel. Along the way we are treated to O'Brian's philosophical discussions between his two quirky heroes and among their assorted friends and associates. Like the others in the series The Surgeon's Mate is a gem.

Unlike earlier novels the action in The Surgeon's Mate is non-stop. O'Brian, always excellent in his characterization and use of language, has considerably improved the pacing from the earliest series entries. The reader is treated to the heroes travelling from Halifax to England to the Baltic to Paris and back to England in a rousing tour-de-force. Does O'Brian lose anything with the faster pace of The Surgeon's Mate? Absolutely not, he still has the strengths of the earlier books.

One aspect of the series that has made it great is the ability of O'Brian to set some of the thorny discussions of our times in the context of the early 19th century. In The Surgeon's Mate, the abortion issue creates a marvelous balanced tension. O'Brian's presentation is even handed, airing both sides of the debate but ultimately not choosing sides. O'Brian has moderated some of the great debates of the last 30 years in his Aubrey Maturin series while providing great naval action along the way.

Perhaps it's time to put O'Brian's novels in a special category- six stars.

Patrick O'Brian evokes John Le Carre in "The Surgeon's Mate", the 7th volume in the splendid Aubrey/Maturin series. Having fled their American captors, Aubrey and Maturin endure a perilous chase by American privateers before arriving safely back in England, with Maturin renewing his relationship with Diana Villiers. Maturin journeys to Paris, ostensibly to lecture on natural history, while on yet another secret mission for Sir Joseph Blaine, inspite of the fact that he's become well known to French authorities for his intelligence activities in the New World. Aubrey is temporarily given command of a sloop, HMS Ariel, and sets out on an intelligence mission with Maturin to the Danish coast. Eventually the ship founders off the coast of France; both Aubrey and Maturin are sent to Paris' infamous Temple prison.

Famous Essayist Emerson Lee, has finally crafted his masterpiece, to be treasured by all modern managers & organisational leaders in the quest for the higher truths of wealth and value creation, both at the personal, interpersonal and organisational planes. I particularly like the famous words of Emerson Lee: " If we become an inner millionaire before becoming an outer millionaire, that would be fine. If we become an outer millionaire without ever becoming an inner millionaire, that would be dangerous." This rare masterpiece provides the detailed guidelines on how to become an inner enlightened millionaire and constructive wealth creator. It also shows the pitfalls of only focusing on becoming an outer millionaire. It unveils the author's post-graduate in-depth understanding of the inadequacy of the conventional management & wealth creation paradigms, It also unveils the more than 15 years valuable experiences of the author in the arena of inner cultivation and study of the perennial wisdoms. Indeed, as advertised in the New York Times, it is a modern inspirational management classic that we can treasure for life.

Majestic. Excellent. A rare gem. On par with the best of contemporary and past writers on self-cultivation. An indispensable guide for fruitful and peaceful living. Strongly recommended for managers and working adults in stress-laden workplaces. Reading and digesting it and practicing its golden rules and precepts on fruitful living and wealth creation will uplift us immensely.

A real breakthrough to inner and outer wealth. Many golden secrets and practical guidelines on fruitful living and constructive wealth creation. I am glad that my colleagues recommended this rare gem to me! It uplifts my perspective immensely ! Essential reading for all managers and organisational leaders, in the Human Resource, Personnel, Finance, Marketing, Customer Relationship depts.

While many books have been written about the historical development of the Space Shuttle, this book is without a doubt the best and most thorough of all. In addition, to the comprehensive text, the book contains hundreds of black and white and color photographs as well as numerous line drawings to further help the reader understand this marvelous space vehicle. Roughly the first 40% of the book covers the developmental history of the Space Shuttle from the early designs of Sanger, Bredt and von Braun, though the X-planes and Dyna-Soar to the many numerous NASA designs of which there are several hundred. These first 200 hundred pages far eclipse any other book on the subject and focus on the engineering side of the project and avoids most of the political discussions that accompany most other books on the subject. The next 60-70 pages cover the development of the present Space Shuttle. After this large introductory section, the book examines the first 100 mission of the Space Shuttle, including the Challenger accident and all the changes made to the Shuttles to improve flight worthiness. The final sections provide very technical descriptions of all aspects of the space shuttle from the landing gear, the thermal control system, the heat shields and much, much more. While I can't comment about the technical accuracy of all these sections, for those sections that I'm familiar with, the thermal control system, the environmental system and EVAs, I couldn't find anything wrong.

One final thing to add, in my over ten plus years working as a NASA contractor at the Johnson Space Center, I would say that I have referred to this book more than any other when I'm looking for information about the Space Shuttle, whether it is just general information or something more technical.

Dennis Jenkins has really outdone himself. "Space Shuttle : The History of the National Space Transportation System" is the single most comprehensive reference on the shuttle. It contains practically anything that anybody needs to know about the shuttle without consulting the shuttle user's manuals. A lot of rare history, drawings, and photographs concerning the early development of the shuttle appear here for the first time. A comprehensive history of the hundred-odd shuttle flights is provided as well. Anyone who reads this book should be able to describe all of the orbiters inside and out. For space enthusiasts, this is not a book that you can afford to miss.

This book is by far the best technical history of the Space Shuttle, presenting an overview of the vehicle's development and use. It begins with a discussion of the origins of the goal of winged spaceflight in the 1920s, extends through the Dyna Soar, lifting body, and X-plane research until the decision to proceed with the Space Shuttle in 1972. It then goes into great detail about the shuttle's design and development effort in the 1970s and then discusses in some detail the first 100 missions of the program since 1981. In every case Jenkins offers an excellent technical analysis of all aspects of the vehicle. This book is the place to start in any effort to understand the history of the Space Shuttle. When the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) started investigating the shuttle accident of February 1, 2003, its members read this book as background to their important work. Jenkins soon became a staff member supporting the CAIB and his expertise showed in the final report.

Ted Lawson's account of the first bombing of Japan by American forces in World War II is a seat of your pants ride from cover to cover! This book is a firsthand account of the trials of an American hero. Ted Lawson leads his B-25 crew on its bombing mission, only to meet with danger and possible capture by the Japanese forces who hunted them. A great book and a fantastic account of the successful raid on Japan by Jimmy Doolittle's Raiders!

This is one of the best books I have ever read and should be a must read for all history students. In addition to the historical importance of the Doolittle Raid, this book brings the reader a personal narrative of the event. If you are a fan of aviation or WWII history, then this is book is for you. I enjoyed it so much that I read it cover-to-cover, back-to-back! I haven't done that with a book in a long time.

The term "hero" seems to be much overused in the media today. You put on a uniform, and you are automatically a hero. Here is a thrilling story about a group of genuine heroes. It is April, 1942. In the four months since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States has suffered a series of stunning defeats and lost many of its Pacific bases. To counter the seeming invincibility of Japan, Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle leads sixteen, twin-engine B-25 bombers from the deck of an aircraft carrier to bomb targets in Japan. They cause consternation in Japan, but a longer flight than planned and bad weather cause the bombers to crash in China. Some flyers are captured and executed by the Japanese, some are killed, and many are injured. Their escape from capture by the Japanese is an epic of courage and amazing help by Chinese peasants. The story is as thrilling today as it was when first published in 1943, and it is well worth reading.

Although i didn't expect to find it so interesting, finally it was really good! Not only does it explain thoroughly every, if not all, technique of the motion picture industry, but it also has a lot of reference to really successful movies! Especially the section that refers to the special effects landmarks makes it unique and complete. It is not something you find in every book and thus it makes it really special.. It has a lot of images and really good explanations and descriptions.. Simply one of the best books on the subject!!

Special Effects is THE BEST book you could wish for on the subject. I have a shelf full of old, an mostly inaccurate books about special effects, but with this new book I could throw the rest away. Also, don't bother with magazines like Cinefex anymore, which are very dry and heavy going. this book is a pleasure to read and has interviews with everyone who is important in the business. There are hundreds of cool photos as well which makes it very good value. Anyone who works in special effects, or is just interested in the movies should read this book. Congratulations to the author Mr Rickitt who has condensed 100 years of movie magic into a single lavish book. Dont take my word for it - BUY IT!

Once I picked up the Special Effects book, I seriously could not put it down. This book is truly amazing as it serves not only as an information source, but it is also very entertaining. The first half of the book goes through the decades starting with the 1900's. In each time period Richard discuses the new advancements in film making during that decade, along with writing about some of the best movies form that time. Some of the classics include Singing in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, and many Hitchcock movies. The second half of the book focuses on individual aspects of movie magic. From make-up and costumes, to lighting and pyrotechnics. The book cover many recent movies like Titanic, Star Wars Episode I and The Matrix. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the entertainment field. The book is easy moderate to read and full of amazing color pictures that you won't find anywhere else. Some of the pictures are accurate diagrams of film processes, such as animation, digital effects and camera techniques. I feel that form reading this book I gained a lot of basis knowledge needed to better understand the industry. Did you know that most of the snow used in movies is simply shredded paper? Or how about the fact that 90% of dialogue is movies is recorded and dubbed after the movie is shot! Find out hundreds of more amazing facts in Richard Rickitt's Special Effects: The History and Technique.

Surviving Hitler is a wonderful survival story depicting courage, and friendship in a great, breath stopping story about a boy in a Nazi death camp. Jack's faith, courage, and friendship with Moniek help him get through the hard time in his life and survive Hitler. This story is interesting to me because Jack is about my age and sometimes what happens to him can relate to life now. The story taught me about the Holocaust in a way that I could learn it better than usual. Jack can be an idol for people who are going through very hard times in their lives to show them that they can survive it. This book is so good that it is now one of my favorite books of all.

Serving Hitler, by Andrea Waren. The story took place during WWII, in a Nazi concentration camp for Jews. This a true story about a named Jack Mandelbaum.
Jack was twelve when the Nazis put his family in a Ghetto. Where he worked to support his family, because they were separated from his father. The Nazis did not like Jews and blamed them for the loss of WWI. About a year or two later Jacks family was put into a concentration camp. There were two lines for two different camps... but his family didn't know that Jack was put into a different line then his mother and brother. Jack was put into a line for a work camp, and his family went to a death camp.
Jack was alone in a whole new world to him, he didn't know anyone, and he was probly the youngest boy there. A prisoner he befriended helped Jack get through the camp for a while, until Jack got transferred to another camp; told jack to of the camp as a game. The rules were: avoid getting beat, stay clean to avoid getting lice, and stay healthy, so you can go home to your family, and beat Hitler at his own game.
After a while Jack was transferred to a new camp. He meat a boy about his age named Monike. Jack and Monike became best friends. When they both thought they were going to die of starvation a miracle happened. The cooks became very sick and Jack, and Monike were the Luckey souls who got to work with all that food. Jack and Monike new that if they stayed the cooks for a while they might have a chance of living.
After about a year the whole camp was transferred again, and Jack and Monike were not the cooks anymore. In this camp you were if you got to eat once a day. Jack and Monike were separated. Jack was only in this camp about six weeks, and one night the Nazis locked all the barracks. The Nazis left the camp and took all the food and left the Jews for dead. But they knocked down the doors and were free.
Jack was a free man and found his good friend Monike, but sad fully did not have a family to come to. Jack had own Hitler's game but still his family lost. After a while after he searched for his family Jack gave up and moved the United States and started his own family. Jack died in 1998.

Surviving Hitler, by Andrea Warren, is a story about a boy named Jack Mandelbaum. He is a Jewish boy and lives during the time of WWII. He is separated from his family and lives in a concentration camp. He has to survive in them. He is very determined to survive in the camps because he wants to meet with his family after the war.
During his time in the camps he meets a man named Aaron who gives him vital information about the camps. He also tells him that if he cannot work, the Nazis will kill him. He tells him about the ovens. What I think is the most important rule that Aaron told Jack was that this was just a game that Hitler was playing. Jack was in that game. If Jack lost, he would die, but if Jack won, he would survive the Nazi death camps and live after the war was over.
I recommend this book because it had a lot of good description, great quotes, and a very interesting and unpredictable plot. I would rate this book a 4 1/2 out of 5 and not a 5 out of 5 because it didn't give many details about his life after the war or about the other characters lives after the war. This was an all around good book that I enjoyed very much.

... Clarence Anderson's memoirs of the war ... fighter pilotswere normal guys with their own rivalries and an air of cluelessness that seems unusual for post-modern "Saving Private Ryan" perspectives but seemed fresh when I read it in 1991. Coming from the subject of "To Fly and Fight' it's still refreshing. Anderson was barely out of his teens when the war broke out and he joined the Army Air Force, precursor to the modern (and separate) USAF. Sent to England, Anderson was assigned to fly P-51 Mustangs, one of the most capable fighters, and witnessed the hopelessness of the allied daylight bombing strategy. After the war, Anderson flew flight test out of Edwards, breeding ground for the first generation of supersonic military aircraft, but spent most time at a desk. During Vietnam, Anderson rose to command a squadron fighter bombers flying out of Thailand. Through it all he comes off as something other than what I expected out of a fighter pilot - the sort of every guy that propaganda would have tried to create but never did. In WWII, Anderson saves the lives of bomber crews, enages in mortal combat with enemy fighters and sometimes makes the decision not to fir ... Anderson avoids the morbid fascination with the lives affected by combat - what happened to the bomber crews or wingmen that owed him his life, or the fighter pilots he may have killed.

Unlike Yeager, Anderson's tenure at flight test was not so glamorous. Instead of the sonic barrier, Anderson's experience included the "parasite-fighter", a fatally flawed idea for linking dimunitive fighters to larger motherships like the B-36 and typical of the "anything goes" atmosphere bred by cold-war demands and postwar prosperity. In that era, even General Curtis Le May knew the project was crazy, that it would never work, but that somebody would just have to try it anyway. When the tests result in tragedy, Anderson doesn't fail to include himself as deserving blame.

Anderson goes to command a Fighter Wing in Thailand flying missions nto Vietnam. Although Anderson gives the war litle treatment, he doesn't neglect his ignominous debut - barely in command when one of his new unit's F-105's makes an emergency, wheels-up landing.

Much of "Fly' is anecdotal, but the anecdotes are priceless, ...

Most aviator memoirs stress that the man in cockpit is just a normal guy, but Anderson makes it convincing. He is seldom judgemental, ... This will never be confused with "Baa Baa Blacksheep", the memoir of Marine ace Greg Boyingtin, ...

Although this book has a different feel to it than the book to which it will invariably be compared, namely Chuck Yeager's "YEAGER" autobiography, I must say it stands on its own feet without any apologies. In this book, Anderson details a life full of accomplishments and adventure.

The chapters that focus on his World War II exploits are clearly the most interesting, although his post-war adventures (including missions in Vietnam) were entertaining in their own right. My only complaint is that he did not write more about this period of his life. It seemed that Yeager's book was a bit more balanced in that he covered his career from beginning to end with an even hand. Anderson (or his publisher) chose not to do so, and that is unfortunate, for I am sure there is much to be learned from this period of his remarkable life.

Despite these minor shortcomings, this one is definitely worth a look. The beginning may be slow to some, but keep going. It is well worth it.

Col. Anderson's accounts of his flying in WWII and as a test pilot are truly memorable. While the writing style is course, it reflects his verbal recollections. I heard Col. Anderson speak at a Test Pilot School graduation; the way he told his stories and his dry humor are as much evident in the book as when he was on the stage. The room was full of test pilots and their families, and you could hear a pin drop. One of the very best books on a man and his love of flying, duty, honor, country, and his family. A must read!

This book is a good telling of the battle that convinced the U.S. and Coalition militaries that the Iraqi Army was not ten feet tall and had a number of weaknesses. It is well told through the eyes of those who were there, and where possible, the author interviewed the American participants. One participant that he was unable to interview directly was Melissa Coleman (nee Rathbun-Nealy), the first American servicewoman to become a POW since World War II. It would have been nice if she had been able to give the author a first-hand account of her capture and imprisonment in Iraq. The attitudes of the Saudi and Gulf Arab forces, the Marines, and of senior commanders are all treated. An unfortunate aspect of the battle is the friendly-fire incidents-this began an unfortunate trend in the First Gulf War. It's a shame it took twelve years for someone to tell this story.

"Storm on the Horizon"
~David Morris

Finally a down and dirty, direct from the sands of Saudi Arabia account of the events of 29 January 1991. Captain David Morris takes you back thirteen years, a dark desert evening, when Iraq amassed three divisions of soldiers in Kuwait and pushed hard against the US Marines of Task Force Shepherd, Recon, Force Recon, ANGLICO and other Special Forces spread along the Kuwait - Saudi Arabian border at OP 6, 4, and Al Khafji. This story is told through the eyes of the Marines who fought these forgotten battles against overwhelming odds. Capt. Morris also takes the reader into the 'darker side of modern warfare' into the several of the Fratricide incidents that occurred during these battles
Having been present during the events depicted in Capt. Morris's book, and also being part of his research, I can stand behind his book and corroborate its accuracy to the best of my knowledge.
Capt. Morris took me back to that night, one of the most confusing and frustrating of my life. I relived that night through his pen, with the newfound 'over-all picture' he provides through other Marine's perspective. He has woven together the perspectives of many Marines into a story that for so many has taken too long to come into public light.

Semper Fi,

Kenneth J. Lieuwen
CPL/ USMC
1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion
Task Force Shepherd
www.1ofthefew.com

This book starts slow, it is history, and becomes a page-turner, it is a marvelous war story.

Monumental innovations act as hinges, opening doors that will lock behind. The Battle of Hastings always comes to mind first for me: the Normans "simply" added stirrups to their saddles, giving them a longer lance reach and a more powerful stand in the saddle. With this the course of western history was altered and Britain was never the same.

"Little" Khafji arises as a big monolith. This book is bound to become a movie just because of the characters and sheer power of the human story line. Battle documentation is not the only story here. Not since I read "On Wings Eagles" by Ken Follett have I enjoyed such unlikely and true story line of operations in the enemy's camp. But, these are not mercenaries, these are listening-post U.S. soldiers attacked on point by an enormous experienced armored column exploiting a potential deadly flaw. Saddam Hussein invades Saudi Arabia over U.S. units. Some of our men are trapped by the invasion force.

The book points to so many important benchmarks that it would have perhaps been another generation before we recognized them had Mr. Morris not interviewed over 100 soldiers who participated in a battle most people would not recognize by name. We would have lost the human touch so important in understanding the power of this new warfare unleashed by well-trained and "braveheart" men who understood in many cases better than their commanders the power in their hands, and volunteered to use it when their odds were amazingly long.

As a former soldier I laughed out loud many times and gripped my book many other times. Yet my wife is militarily challenged and still steadily plows through "Khafji" as I write this review. After Khafji, wars will never again be fought the same by armies who own the weapons used by the Allies against Iraq.

Part of the weaponry, and the unique insights from the book document this, is not just hardware but the heart and mind of the forward observer, the "special forces" grunt if you will, who directs now not only just artillery but also ordinance on an order of magnitude greater in power and accuracy. You will be introduced to the men who did their job well like David against Goliath.

This book is R-Rated for language, the language of soldiers. The words change a little from generations, but this portrays troop life since soldiers camped and fought. If you read this book you will not forget the last chapters and the characters reciting them to Dave Morris.

Set in Washington, D.C.,1917. 13-year-old Kathleen Bowen revels in her diary her hopes, dreams, fears, and her suffering. Her mother has become a active member in the suffrage, and pickettes everyday. Her sisters have joined the Red Cross and have left her alone, Her cousin and only best friend Alma, leaves after her parents get a divorce. Her father spend more time in his office than at home. Alone and sad, she faces the world alone. Her only friend and the person she can confide in is her diary. Just when she thinks things cannot get worse, they do. Her mother is put in jail. Kat must find all her courage and streght to face what is to come. I highly recommed this diary for any Dear America fan or any one that enjoys historical fiction.

It's 1917 in Washington, D.C, and as the Great War rages in Europe, thirteen-year-old Kathleen Bowen is caught up in a fight closer to home. Her mother, sister Nell, and Auntie Claire are suffragists, fighting for voting rights for women, to the disapproval of her Uncle Bayard and the worry of her father. Kat and her cousin Alma, who are the exact same age, want to help, but they are too young to join the picket line. As it begins to seem more and more likely that the United States will enter the war, life begins to change in other ways. Nell leaves to join the Women's Ambulance Corps in France, and Alma, desperate to escape after her parents' bitter divorce, runs away to England and becomes a Red Cross volunteer. But the worst hardship of all is still to come. Kat's mother is arrested, and Kat wonders how she will ever make it through this unbearable loneliness. I highly recommend this book to all fans of the Dear America series.

I have read many books in the dear America series and this one is one of my favorites. I liked it because in addition to being well written it's also exciting. Not only does Kathleen Bowen's mother Join the picket line and get arrested, but America also joins the first World War. Kathleen's sister and cousin leave to become nurses in Europe on the front. So not only was the book fun to read, but I also learned a lot about the suffrage movement.