history

If you'd like an incredible, dose of patriotism, this is the book to read. Sometimes, we become so complacent about the freedoms we practice in our great country. This book puts everything we take for granted into perspective. Let me share a brief story with you that summarizes my feelings concerning "The Gulf Between Us". As a teacher of fifth graders, I was becoming increasingly aware of a decline in patriotism as we would say our daily Pledge of Allegiance, this year. Even though I would demand standing straight and tall, right hands over hearts, and eyes on the flag, about halfway through,a shuffling of feet,slouching,and some grinning at each other would begin. After many of my Pledge lectures, I decided to try something else. I sat down with my students and shared some of the ordeals Col.Cliff Acree endured as a POW. I shared how his strong patriotism,his strength of character, and his faith in God, carried him through inhumane experiences most of us will never be able to comprehend. I also shared how his wife and other family members and friends took action through their strong commitments of love, faith, and patriotism. I ended my lesson that day by challenging my students, each time they said the Pledge, to think of Cliff Acree and all others who have so courageously enabled us to enjoy our many freedoms. From then on, my students took the challenge. I did not have to correct them another time. Hopefully, they will carry this renewed sense of patriotism throughout their lives. I know I will. Thank you so very much, Cliff and Cindy.

This book reads very easily. Although Cindy Acree and I have never met, it seems she and I have been life long friends, just separated for some years. Then when we are reunited she is telling me the story of her life as a Marine Wife. As I read page after page, it is as if Cindy is sitting down next to me, sharing her story in person. I vividly remember Desert Storm, and the terror I felt just for Our Country to be at War. I can only imagine through the book what Cindy and Cliff had to endure. I Can say that I did not begin to grasp the Dedication of Our United States Marines and Their Families to Our Country. I have learned much from this book and will be telling friends and family about it.

I have read many POW stories since WWII and this is one of the best. The perspective is a little different as the wife talks a chapter about what is going on at home and then Col. Acree talks about his ordeal while a prisoner of war in Iraq during Desert Storm. The internal fortitude and resolve of Co. Acree is astounding and what he went through is heart rending. At the same time his wife did much in creating a force of help and an attitude of compassion among the entire citizenry of the U.S.A. You will rally 'round the flag after reading this and appreciate the downfall of Hussein!

As a former paratrooper, and having several uncles and older cousins who served in airborne units in World War II, I can only say that Mr. Burgett captures the essentials of airborne combat in WWII. One of my uncles had great difficulty reading this book. "It brought back too many memories". Mr. Burgett's earlier book, "Currahee", brought the reader to England prior to the NOrmandy invasion, and then to Normandy with all the confusion, savage combat and gallows humor found in line outfits. This volume continues in that line, and complements greatly works like "A Time For Trumpets" and Toland's "Battle". The book offers no political insights, second guessing of commanders. It offers the insight and observations of a young American GI fighting far away from home, watching friends die, and wondering who was next. A fine job!

"Seven Roads to Hell" refers to the seven key roads coming out of Bastogne, Belgium. This confluence of roads was a pivotal logistic point as armies could then move men and materials about the area. Understanding this, and seeing its declining position in the war, the Nazis were determined to take the road. Having difficulty holding in the onrush, the US Army sends the 101st Airborne to hold the area. This narrative discusses the Screaming Eagles part in the Battle of the Bulge.

As mentioned before, this is a narrative. Donald Burgett was a private with the 101st during World War II and wrote his memories down soon after the war. Since this is not a diary, he establishes a flow and understanding of what is going on in the area. The narrative is very engaging.

Having been to visit the battle site as well as read other books and seen movies about the battle, I always wondered why the American soldiers were not properly outfitted to fight a prolonged engagement in the snow. From this narrative, I learned that although they were short of some gear, the soldiers did have winter gear but were told to leave it behind because it would only slow them down.

The soldier's perspective makes for a very good reading of the battle and its conditions. I would recommend this to any fan of military history.

If you are looking for a personal account of the siege of Bastogne during the battle of the bulge and the tremendous feat of the 101 Screaming Eagles or are just looking for a great non fiction thriller then get this book. Burgett was a member of the 506th and fought in some of the most bloody battles around Bastogne. But besides the awesome fighting sequences he describes the misery of the foxhole, freezing temps and patrols. But look for the cheap 5 dollar version of the books because it is the same thing including the pics. And if you like this then go back to the start and read Burgetts Curahee...an awesome account of his part in the airdrops during Normandy, also available in the cheap version...

It was an absolute pleasure reading THE PROMISE. This book is about Joe DiMaggio, a truly great ball player, who kept his promise to a young bat boy. L.E. Davis, a customer from California, simply misses the point in his book review. Indeed, the author does not set forth DiMaggio's flaws and he shouldn't! He describes his experiences with the Yankee great. The REAL STORY is that Joe kept his promise to Joe. If your seeking to learn about his faults, read something else. But, who wants to ? Certainly not our children. Anyway, in DiMaggio's defense, last time I checked, only one man was perfect and He lived a long, long time ago. Mr. Carrieri I applaud your efforts and thanks for sharing your experience. I love the pictures!

i read mr crrieris first book- searching for heroes-the quest of a yankee batboy. it was a great book about the yankees in the 50s. joe dimaggio the promise is about following dimaggio for three years to learn his secret of success. while dimag reveals his philosophy i thought his character was shown when he gave carrieri his game bat and kept his promise.,

I HAVE BEEN READING SOME NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT DIMAGGIO AND THAT MAKES ME MAD. THESE INSIDE WRITINGS SHOULD BE BETTER LEFT UNSAID. WHAT RIGHT DOES A WRITER HAVE TO REVEAL THE INNER MOST SECRETS OF A PERSON BE HE BEGGAR KING. IT IS NOBODIES BUSINESS TO READ THAT DIMAGGIO WAS GREEDY OR CHEAP.THAT IS WHY I LIKED THE PROMISE. IT DESCRIBED A GREAT BASEBALL PLAYER WHO SYMBOLIZED GRACE AND STYLE-AN AGE OF INNOCENCE-WHEN PLAYERS PLAYED FOR THE FUN OF IT-

I found Sugden's book to be a very informative and objective analysis of the JtR murders. He very carefully separates fact from fiction and explains why so many "facts" were indeed ficticious. Rather than proving the facts to support his conclusions, he lays out all the facts first and then explains (in his conclusion) why some of the suspects were not really viable candidates. Of the four candidates - Ostrog, MJ Druitt, Kosminski, and George Chapman - he merely suggests that one, Chapman, fits most closely to the murder profile of the Ripper based on his objective analyses of the facts, yet he doesn't CLAIM who the killer was, but merely suggests. He concludes that even Inspector Abberline thought the killer was Chapman based on the facts surrounding Chapman.

Some parts of the book I didn't care for - the histories of the victims and the chapter about the use of dogs to hunt for the killer(s).

Nevertheless, with the objective reporting of the facts by Sugden, I am reluctant to read any other books on this subject... However, I definitely recommend this book since it merely states the facts and doesn't resort to any wild conspiracy theories.

Pros: Brilliantly researched and written, approaches from an objective standpoint.
Cons: His painstaking research may put off those not prepared for detail.
The Bottom Line: A solid historical work, an objective view of a tangled subject, and proof that truth is more gripping than fiction.
Recommended: Yes

I picked up this book because I have always been interested in the case (yes... even before the film "From Hell") but I was put off by the mountain of titles covering the subject. I read that Philip Sugden's book "The Complete History of Jack the Ripper" was THE book to read on this case.

What's new and useful is the author's approach to the subject. While others often write a book on this case trying to prove a pet theory, Sugden remains firm in his objective appraisal of the first hand evidence. This leads to a surprising amount of revision as many errors, often repeated by other authors, are uncovered. He spends a few pages to discuss and analyze the most popular or highly regarded theories and dispenses with most of them. Also of value is the analysis of modern psychological profiling and other techniques that shed some light on the case.

It was widely believed by the police in 1888, for example, that the killer was likely to have either been incarcerated, or committed suicide. Their reasoning was that it appeared the ferocity of the attacks escalated until an ecstasy of carnage against Mary Kelly at Miller's Court. They assumed the killer must have had to break down following such madness and kill himself or be turned into an asylum by his family. We now know from over a century of experience with serial killers that they rarely take their own lives. Also, if one were to include the murder of Martha Tabrum, (a killing that closely matched the other murders attributed to Jack the Ripper) the idea that the ferocity of the attacks increased in scale falls apart. It appears from the evidence the ferocity of the attacks was in measure to the amount of time the killer had with the victim. When Sugen applies modern FBI psychological profiling, the known facts about the Ripper fit him closely with the known traits of modern serial killers: a white male, aged 28 - 45, killing women in a small area (Whitechapel where all the murders were less than a mile apart), seemingly to experiment with technique until the killer arrived at a proven and deadly skill, and that he would never stop.

Following an exacting review of the known evidence Sudgen covers the three most celebrated suspects: Montague John Druitt, Aaron Kosminski, and Michael Ostog, yet concludes with his own analysis of known serial killer and possibly the Ripper himself, George Chapman.

Of interest in this work is the history of East London and English society of the late 18th century, the history of the police of London and their attempts to catch the Ripper, and also of the first documented serial killer and how the case has evolved since 1888. If you have a taste for non-fiction, true crime, mystery and intrigue, this is a no put down read. Any serious student of this case needs to read this book.

The Whitechapel murders have seen no more than several hundred books written about the case but very few can hold the same standing as "The Complete History of Jack the Ripper by Philip Sugden" because it is the most meticulously researched and venerated work on the case to date. Sugden, tired of fictionist accounts of Jack the Ripper (most notably his mistrust of works like The Diary of Jack the Ripper by Shirley Harrison and Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution by Stephen Knight that are spruced up to support a bunk Mason/Royal theory or to point the finger in the direction of what is probably an innocent suspect in order to sell copies by truckload) has delivered on the most comprehensive and historical factual account of the Ripper murders by examining and reporting on the case from the ground up. Leaving no stone unturned, Sugden delves into the initial murders at Whitechapel, before the canonical first ripper victim - Polly Ann Nichols, and beyond the final canonical ripper victim - Mary Kelly, to include no less than nine possible ripper victims that must be taken into account when reviewing the Whitechapel murders in their entirety.

Nearly every available important newspaper story, witness testimony, court hearing, autopsy testimony, letter, investigation memoir and police report relating to the case are used to piece the history of the Whitechapel murders together. Unprecedented attention is paid to the victims, the circumstances of their death, their martial status, boyfriends, education, children, parents, work and place of dwelling before their death. All makes for an exceptional record of the Whitechapel murders which is as unsparingly in detail as you will likely find in any book of its kind. It is not until page 164 that the night of the double murder is dealt with. Make no mistakes about it, this IS the reference manual to which all other works will likely be derived from and compared too.

Sugden unearths some fascinating suspects that most of us knew nothing about. Lunatics that where unaccounted for, having absconded from the eyes of the law and their asylums, where at the forefront of the investigation and a lot of these characters are explored in the book. Characters that where seen with blood stained hands at the time of murders are tracked down and revealed for first time.

Surprisingly, the book doesn't really ever get off the ground like other ripper books. When dealing with probably the most infamous serial killers of all time you would expect much more electrifying passages and comments by the author but instead Sugden opts for a history lesson and data exploration.

Essentially this is a book about a changing Victorian London, the rising of the press, Jewish expansion of the East End, social conditions and the poor, the victims and their unfortunate past, the early years of CID and how the city responded to the Whitechapel murders. Sugden even goes into detail with relatively suppressed topics like the bloodhound trials at CID, undercover investigations involving officers dressing up as prostitutes, innocent but violent vagabonds being hunted through the streets seeking refuge with the police and the creation of vigilante groups who raised reward monies and patrolled the streets.

The book is written in an extremely flat way but like we have said this all goes to prove a point - that Jack the Ripper was no talent. He was no boogeyman and he is certainly undeserving of the personality that he seems to have been accredited with throughout the ages. Yes he was a monster, a sexual serial killer, but one who could easily slip away with a prostitute at the height of the murders without attracting much suspicion - although one important witness (of the very many that are covered in this book) may have actually witnessed an attack and the suspect. In many instances Jack took chances and in all probability he should have been caught. What you are left with is a feeling that the investigators probably had their man, had seen their man, had probably interviewed their man, but didn't recognize him for what he was. The more you play down the hype the more you begin to see what conclusions Sugden is trying to draw. That the investigators had not a single scrap of good evidence to go by and didn't get the break that they so sorely needed.

In the final pages of the book Sugden covers four Ripper suspects, - Druitt, Kosminski, Ostrog and Chapman. He gives Chapman good coverage and names him as the best suspect but the reader is left feeling that that there is a good case against Kosminski because he was identified as Jack the Ripper by a witness.

Pros:
- Meticulously researched, especially the victims.
- Extremely detailed account of everything connected to the case.
- Levelheaded approach to profiling Jack the Ripper.
- Everything is kept real and factual. Very limited guesswork and theories.
- Highly detailed bibliography and references including police files and their locations.

Cons:
- Needs more pictures, especially of the investigators, more Mary Kelly crime scene photos, more Eddowes morgue shots, photographs of the alleged Ripper letters, some pictures of news articles would be good too.
- Not everyone's cup of tea. This is not something that will grip you throughout from start to finish.
- Index is extremely limited to names and places. Could be much better.
- Not all the modern day suspects are considered or covered.
- Does not delve into the investigators' backgrounds as much as the victims.

The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich is a very amazing book. What I liked was when Old Tallow told Omakayas that she was the only one who survived smallpox. The one other part I liked was when Pinch ate the berries because he ends up saying Andeg(the bird)ate them but it really wasn't. The part that I disliked was when baby Neewo and Ten Snow died. It was really sad. Also the other part I disliked was when the visitor came because that's when everybody got sick. All in all this book was really interesting.

The Birchbark House was a good book and I think Louise Erdrich
is a wonderful author and illustrator. The part I liked the most was when the main character Omakayas's grandmother Nokomis told her a story in the winter. It was about Nokomis when she was a little girl. When the visitor came and brought smallpox and Omakayas's little brother died it was very sad. All in all, everyone should read this book.

A great tale. Author Louise Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwa, has written a story of 1847 Ojibwa life. The book is truly a labor of love, including such amazing elements as a detailed map of the area in which her story takes place, a glossary of terms, and multiple sources considered during the writing of this tale. Even more, the book is a compact series of small vignettes of standard Ojibwa life, crushing stereotypes and myths with sure swift prose. Erdrich has written a story that has truly created its own separate niche.

Omakayas (or Little Frog) lives in a sturdy birchbark house in a land doomed one day to become Wisconsin. With her family we see her step through the paces of day to day existence. The book encompasses a single year in Omakayas's life; one filled with as much terror and despair as love and hope. Helping her family to battle smallpox, find food in a desperate winter, and deal with the small details imperative to survival, we watch Omakayas grow from an uncertain young girl to a competent, if still learning, young woman.

The book is almost an answer to the Laura Ingels Wilder tales. Truth be told, the two titles have much in common. Both deal implicitly with Native American/white settler relations. Both look at the details of daily life, realistically describing everything from food preparation to parties. Even the illustrations of the book (drawn by author Erdrich herself) bear a great resemblance to the Garth Williams' pics we remember so well from the Little House books. But Erdrich has the benefit of hindsight and (let's face it) superior knowledge concerning the ways of both the whites and the Ojibwa. Her writing expertly allows her to create interesting variegated personalities that trump the one-dimensional stick figure Indians Wilder relied on so heavily. These characters have a harsh, but really great life. There's the buffoon, Albert LaPautre (half French) who continually claims to have had meaningful visions and dreams. There's Old Tallow, a powerful woman of her own means, surrounded by a pack of wolf-dogs and wearing coats woven from a variety of different furs. And then there's Omakayas herself, dreaming true visions and meeting true woodland creatures, even going so far as to train a crow of her own.

The books ends with this sentence, "Omakayas tucked her hands behind her head, lay back, closed her eyes, and smiled as the song of the white-throated sparrow sank again and again through the air like a shining needle, and sewed up her broken heart". It's an ending that contains a lot of hope for the future. Erdrich does not dwell on the fate that may lay in store for Omakayas and her beloved family. We know what will happen. It's enough to see them happy at this moment alone. "The Birchbark House" is a courageous creation, one that I'm certain will please even the most merciless of Erdrich's critics. Full of well rounded characters, a gripping plot, and wonderful tangents it's one of the best ways to introduce kids to a different time and place.

John Lewis chronicles his ascendancy from the backroads of Alabama to the hallowed halls of Congress - an experience which reads more like carefully contrived fiction than real life events. The struggles, the triumphs, the emotions, the meanings are all skillfully woven to create a soon-to-be American classic literary canon, depicting the Civil Rights Movement. Lewis, described as an American treasure, lives up to the title with his intimate details of the renown leaders of the movement and the not-so-well-known heroes, who fought tirelessly and courageously to end the social injustices of the segregated South. Twenty-first century textbook authors would be remiss, if not negligent, by not including the perspectives of Lewis' Walking with the Wind. Amazingly, Lewis remains humble, despite his successes. He is a role model, and more importantly, a 20th Century American hero. Walking with the Wind is a must-read for all.

I don't like memoirs. They're usually self-serving, ego-driven and full of cheap shots. Walking With the Wind is none of those. John Lewis and his co-author have crafted a marvelously told tale of the civil rights movement. Perhaps no one but Lewis, King and Abernathy could write about the movement with this scope. Lewis was there for all of it, from jails, to voting, to sit-ins. And he describes it beautifully with the perfect pace.

I think the book's best chapters are the ones that cover what happened in Selma. I've read a half-dozen histories of the civil rights movement and none of them have recounted the Selma story better than Lewis does here.

Lewis also gives us insight into several other movement leaders. Not even Taylor Branch (the Pulitzer-winning historian and journalist) tells us about Jim Bevel with this much color. Lewis tells fascinating stories about Diane Nash, Stokely Carmichael and the relations between SNCC and the other movement-leading groups. It's the kind of inside baseball a good memoir delivers.

I'm thrilled that I read this book. It has greatly contributed to my understanding of the civil rights movement.

All I can say is that I LOVE this book. It is a true and chilling first-hand account of the Civil Rights Movement. I suggest that everyone read this book. John Lewis is truly an American hero!!

Mr. James Lovall wrote a great book about Apollo 13. This book explains every thing that happened up there from the eyes of the real man who were out there , exactly 30 years ago! the book is well written, and explains a bit about Lovalls flights (Apollo 8, Gemini) and a bit about the time before he became an astronaut. as a big Apollo lover, i must say i really enjoyed this book. Why did i gave it only 4 stars and not 5? There is only one thing, in the way this book is written that i really didn't like. The book is written like this: " And then lovell did that" "And then he felt that" etc. And not like you would expect "And then I did that" "And then I felt that" . I think this is the only one thing that i didn't like in the book, because it makes you feel less.. "There". and isn't that what books are all about?.. I am sure you will enjoy the book.

Ever since "Apollo 13" hit the theaters and astronaut Jim Lovell was interviewed on National Public Radio's "Fresh Aire" program, I've been meaning to get this book. Finally I did, and I'm glad. It is a remarkably informative book. Anyone who saw the movie or was paying attention to the news in April 1970 knows the basic story. Where this book excels is in giving us a very behind the scenes look into the people and machinery surrounding the Apollo 13 mission, in a much more personal way than is possible in a movie. Through personal recollection and what must have been innumerable hours of interviews by Jim Lovell and his co-author, the book lets us peek into the minds of the astronauts, engineers, and NASA administrators who dealt with the crisis, as well as the family members' reactions to the danger their loved ones suddenly found themselves in. And at the same time, the book manages to explain the technical details of flying a spaceship and navigating by the stars in both normal and highly extra-ordinary situations. Unlike the movie, this book does not seek to dramatize the events it chronicles, which are dramatic enough by themselves. If what you want is a completely unvarnished look at the Apollo 13 mission, I can think of no better source than "Lost Moon"

After watching the movie, I was curious to read this book to see what REALLY happened (Hollywood, after all, likes to change stories a little to get the full dramatic effect or something out of them).

The book was much more technical than the movie, but the techincal details were explained very clearly.

Colonel Samuel,USAF ret., was born in Nazi Germany to a woman raised in a small town to the north of Berlin and to an officer in the Luftwaffe. German Boy: A Child in War is an account of his life from the age of 10, when he, his mother, and sister became refugees fleeing the advance of Soviet forces in January 1945, to the age of 15, when he emigrated to the United States with his mother and step-father. In between, he lived in both the Soviet and British zones of occupation. This book sets forth Colonel Samuel's vivid, honest, and unsentimental recollection of the devastation, privation, degradation, brutality, and starvation that he and his family witnessed and experienced during those years. It is well written and it takes hold of the reader from the first paragaph and stays with one long after the last sentence has been read.

"German Boy" is an important work. As a history, it relates something about a period of history that is not commonly known -- the horrors of World War II in Europe continued long after the fighting ended in May of 1945. As a personal account, it offers hope. Wolfgang Samuel, like millions of children before, during, and since World War II, directly experienced events through which no child should ever have to suffer. His story highlights the resilience of the individual and illustrates that with the will, the perseverance, optimism, and some luck, one can survive disaster and live a better life. This volume would make excellent supplemenary reading for high school and college history courses.

Those who find "German Boy" to be of interest may also consider reading another excellent book, which is titled, "A Woman in Berlin." The author is anonymous. As the title suggests, the book is a published journal written by a young woman while she was living in Berlin during the weeks before the fall of the city to the Soviets and through the first weeks of the Soviet occupation. It was published during the 1950s and is now out of print. However, it is not too difficult to find and it is well worth the effort.

"German Boy, a Child in War"
Wolfgang W. E. Samuel
ISBN 0-7679-0824-4
2000

This autobiography of childhood by Wolfgang Samuel is the story of a German boy growing up during World War II. When the momentum of the war turned against Germany, the Russians attacked from the east and routed the German army and civilian population as well. The book recounts how Samuel and his family abandoned their home and possessions and fled for their lives. In the following years, they survived under circumstances that most of us can hardly imagine. This is a very touching story, largely about the writer‘s mother, who did whatever was necessary and paid any price for the survival of her children, the author and his younger sister. Although it is a story of deprivation and terror, it is also about acts of incredible courage and noble behavior under terrible circumstances by ordinary people.

This book is admirable in its originality and all the more powerful in having been written by the person who lived it. Above all, it is a remarkable story of courage and tenacity of the human spirit.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I was engrossed in the story. It was very moving to read about how this boy and his family survived and eventually thrived after the war. It really felt like I was traveling with Wolfgang through his childhood. It is also interesting to hear of all of the different attitudes within the family and the community. I think it is very instructive for any country where there are war refugees, and makes me more concerned about the fate of women in Afganistan, Iraq, and other countries. One of the most interesting elements was the part about how money stopped women from having to rely primarily on sex to survive. I hope this can someday be made into a movie so these issues can have more exposure. I highly recommend this book.

"Stopped at Stalingrad" is one of those genuine surprises. Just when you think you have read everything you need to read or want to read about a given subject, along comes a book that forever alters your view of that subject.

This book's principle focus is on the Luftwaffe's role on the Eastern Front. It may, indeed, be the only book length treatment of the subject. Joel Hayward demonstrates with great care that the German's use of air power as a tactical, and not strategic, weapon in close support of ground forces was perhaps THE key factor in the German army's early successes in the East. Patton and the Allied Generals could only DREAM of tactical air-ground support on this level. Writes Hayward, "The Luftwaffe, together with the army meticulously co-ordinated their operations and created joint "Schwerpunkte"(points of main efforts)." I may be demonstrating my own woeful lack of knowledge, but this is the first time in all my reading about the German war effort that I encountered a discussion of the critical doctrine of Schwerpunkte.

But one of this book's best offerings, comes at the very beginning where Hayward outlines in detail the crucial role that oil, or the lack thereof, played in the entire German war effort. From the outset, the German's were running at a critical deficit. And even with the Rumanian oil fields running at full capacity, the German's were in terrible trouble. And every time they absorbed a new chunk of territory, their situation became all the more desperate.

So great was Germany's reliance upon the Rumanian oil fields that Hitler became obsessed with the potential for Russian bombers to turn them in to what he called, "an expanse of smoking debris." The fear proved, of course groundless, the Russians were never able to mount an effective long-range bomber command. But this fear led to a costly, Quixotic "cleansing of the Crimea" -- the so-called "Operation Bustard Hunt".

When the German's launched Operation Barbarossa, their requirements for oil became critical. And this chronic problem led Hitler to focus on the oil fields of the Caucasus. Indeed from this point on much of the German strategic war effort was geared towards securing a reliable oil supply (or developing alternatives).

The effort to reach the Caucasus proved, in many respects, to be Germany's undoing. And it was a fruitless effort to begin with. It assumed that: (A) they could reach the fields at all; (B) that if they reached them the oil fields were not so badly sabotaged that they could be put into production in time to make a difference; and (c) the oil supply once secured could be actually brought back to German over a SINGLE rail line of varying gauges that crossed thousands of miles of terrain open to sabotage and air attack. But Hitler was blind to all of this.

Hayward writes with great passion and precision. At times one feels a little overwhelmed by details. But his portraits of the individual German pilots and commanders, as well of the shocking conditions under which they fought and died, is truly memorable.

This is a book that is not only for the specialist. Anyone with an interest in the Second World War needs to read this book. It makes a brilliant companion to Antony Beevor's book, "Stalingrad".

This is a detailed book with a strong analytical component, great new photographs, and a good bilingual bibliography. The author begins in March 1942 and takes the Stalingrad campaign through to its death in February 1942. Both air force and ground operations get good coverage, but the real strength of this book is its explanation of how the two branches (and even the German navy in the Black Sea) cooperated together. The account is based on a careful reading of scores of unpublished war diaries and other rare documents, and is therefore a nice surprise after reading countless previous Stalingrad books which all quote the same, readily available sources (Lost Victories, Chuikov's book, etc). The book is stronger overall than Beevor's book, even if the latter is faster paced and has more on the Soviets.

Put plainly: you can't understand the Battle of Stalingrad without this book. It is the only analysis of air and joint components of that hell on earth battle. Its author did a huge amount of work in archives and relies on unpublished diaries, notebooks, situation reports, squadron records, afteraction assessments and so on. The argument is clear and persuasive: that much of the credit for German successes during the eastern battles of 1942 must go to the Luftwaffe. Whereas many enthusiasts and some scholars have always presented the Luftwaffe as the secondary, supportive arm, with the army dominant, Dr Hayward makes clear that that view is out of date and unsupportable. The Luftwaffe led and dominated during the entire 1942 campaign. That doesn't mean that it could perform the impossible task Goering and Jeschonnek gave to it: supply of Sixth Army. Hayward's analysis of the airlift is the only authoritative account. The book is superbly crafted and compellingly written. It is one of three or four books that every Stalingrad reader MUST own.

Cartoon History presents a large amount of information at a rapid clip and keeps you laughing the whole time. Topics that may have seemed boring in history class (or weren't addressed at all) will suddenly spark the imagination and leave you wanting to read more. Thick history presented in the exact opposite of dry textbook style, all high school and college students should own a copy of this book! (Gonick doesn't pull punches about the graphic violence and bizarre sexuality of our history, so parents should exercise discretion about handing this book to younger students.) Gonick also shows intriguing perspectives that you won't get in the average, mainstream textbook market; and he especially gives women a voice they normally do not have. Hopping all over the globe for more than white man's western civ, this book and its sequel open up history in a startling and energized way. I highly recommend keeping a copy on your reference shelf.

Want to read about history without reading about history? Buy this book! Not only does is serve up science in a way to keep you awake but it slices up history into easy to swallow portions too. If you find chapters or subjects that pique your interest beyond that provided by the witty cartoon panels, the book has the most extensive bibliography (with reviews!) you could ask for. I bought my copy many years ago and it drove me to reread all those Greek Classics that I slept through while I was in school! It is apparent that portions of the Ancient Greece section was drawn earlier when Mr. Gonick was developing his style. His wit is trenchant in all the chapters in a way to make the reader think. Summary: I wish I had this book when I was in school...

A seminal work. Simply a fun great account of the history of man. This book does a great job telling the story of civilization from the dawn of man to Moses and the Greeks. A very accurate and funny story that illuminates the essentials of western civilization in many pages of hilarious cartoons. A great gift.