... detail of his research so that he presented a better view of that war than any others that I ...
938076
i was impressed by the detail of his research so that he presented a better view of that war than any others that I have read.
1515356
Most of the reviews here are more concerned with how Professor Bergerud tells his story than what he says.

The what, however, is the reason to spend many hours with this volume.

This is the first history to pull together in one place all the aspects of the air campaign in the Southwest Pacific. Other writers, including some very good ones, have analyzed tactics or equipment. Fewer have paid much attention to logistics, which was even more difficult than usual in the terrible conditions of Melanesia. Fewer still have written much about the difficulties of maintaining health and morale of aircrew and ground personnel in such conditions.

Bergerud pulls all this together, along with thoughtful analysis of the differing approaches of the two foes to the campaign. Also, he explores the social differences between the antagonists, and those effects upon the battlefield.

Nothing is left out.

All this is deftly melded with many personal reminiscences of the warriors, making it an easy read for those whose interest in military matters is limited to the chatter of machine guns. I have never read a better popular battle history.

The Japanese side is underdescribed, inevitably. Not many Japanese pilots survived to reflect on their experiences.
1625575
This is an example of the horror of war from the perspective of a German soldier on the Eastern Front.  His day to day life is exemplified by his attention to detail.  I am also from the show-me state and a self-educated  individual on the life and times of the Germans who fought there.  I would  also like to caveat this statement by stating that all soldiers in the  German Army in WWII had a "Soldat Buch" which is a book presented  to the soldier upon his graduation from his respective school.  Further,  one must remember that, unlike the American Army, the German Army did not  lend itself to testing it's soldiers, thereby, creating a caste system  where the smart went into military intelligence and the not so smart went  into the infantry.  Unless you went into the officer corps, minus  battlefield commissions, education for the most part was not in the  equation.  This 20 year old's perspective was resolute and yes some of the  minute details may have been forgotten or misrepresented, however, having  spent 24 years as an Infantryman, I will submit that I've read books on  Vietnam who's authors have misrepresented locations and/or weapon  nomenclatures.  All and All this book is fantastic reading for not only the  novice military historian, but also the seasoned veterans.  Must read.
276275
The information contained in the book was more than what is in the other books that I have on the subject.
2627372
There are few historians who have the depth of understanding that Efraim Karsh does. He has produced through the years a series of works in which he has illuminated various aspects of the Arab- Israeli conflict. Here he makes a detailed study of the origins of the conflict and its continuation through the years. He provides a massive array of evidence indicating that it is Arab intransigence that has fueled the conflict and prevented its peaceful settlement.
He is especially revealing here in showing the conflicts and factions within the world of the Palestinian Arabs, and the pressures which moved them time and again to reject compromise. Unfortunately this book will largely be read by those sympathetic to its major lines of thought, while those who really could be helped and informed by it will most likely not dare to read the evidence.
2227021
After reading this book, I have a much better understanding of the Soviet Union's failures and accomplishments in WWII. Mr. Overy provides countless details that explain not only the politics and battlefield strategy, but also the character of the leaders, soldiers, and civilians who fought this war. For example, he desribes Stalin's insecurites and interactions with Churchill and Roosevelt and then explains why non-smoking Germans were put at the front of squads moving into enemy territory.

There are the usual list of casualties and maps you'd expect to find in a military history, but more importantly, Mr. Overy explains how the Soviet Union and their supposedly backward and unflexible leadership actually made dramatic changes in their conduct of the war that enabled them to defeat the Germans.

The book is easy to read and very thoroughly researched. I think Mr. Overy probably had enough material to write a book twice as long, but to his credit, he focused on only that which help the reader understand the eventual outcome of the war. He is objective in both describing the tyranny of Soviet leadership, the terrible losses, and at the same time the contribution that Soviet armies made toward winning the war for the benefit of both the East and West.
3126202
I enthusiastically endorse this scholarly work by Dr. Babits and Mr. Howard. Their research methodology, alone, and their efforts to deconstruct accepted but mythical aspects of the battle--the Peter Francisco account and the British artillery firing into melee, just to name two--makes this book a must-read for anyone interested in the period. Babits and Howard base many of their ideas not simply on intellectual conjecture, but on primary source documentation. I especially applaud them for their work with pension records and muster rolls. Wading through a database of nearly 1,000 pensions in order to establish and corroborate details of the battle is not easy work. The revelations that come of such meticulous research are what make this work special. Is the book provocative in places? Of course. That's what happens when new, primary source research is utilized by professional historians. The authors don't appear to claim that they have all the answers; Babits and Howard offer some new ideas, substantiated through solid scholarship, with the hopes that the book will engender discourse and a fuller understanding of the battle. Rather than offering my viewpoints on specific details and espouse how I think Babits and Howard should have written the book, I will judge this work for what it is: the most definitive account of the battle to date. I can work through the levels of detail they provide in order to find an extraordinarily insightful book that challenges my understanding of the battle, the myths it created, and the human experience in war.
2306989
After hearing the professor  give a lecture  regarding his book, I had to read his book. His lecture actually contained more insight than the book. The biggest reason one should read this is it ties world events to this conflict .
2000128
Author Sebastian Junger spent about 5 months embedded with infantrymen in the Korengal Valley region in Afghanistan.  He ate, slept, patrolled, and fellowshipped (to a limited degree) with them.  So does "War" do for soldiers what Junger's "The Perfect Storm" did for fishermen?  I'm not sure.

The book is better than most in this genre'.  Junger is a talented observer and describer, and he was living the life at a level exceeding what most journalists take on.  It's enlightening, frightening, and heartbreaking at times.

But, accounts of some of these soldiers (maybe) seemed to not necessarily always ring true.  Having read some of the other reviews, and having had some life experience "on the front lines", I would pose a qualification to some of the raves of "realism" that other reviewers have offered.  It's an old paradox that has been posed in science.  It goes something like . . . the scientist alters the outcome of his observed subject, simply by the swaying effect of his having observed.  So, Junger's foray into the abyss is well described - but is is still an abyss with "that writer guy hanging around".  Some subjects will reserve and hold back.  Some will posture and embellish.  So the author's war observations are pretty candid, but methinks not necessarily what sometimes goes on without him on-scene.  Let your imagination run.

And . . . as we are still at war in Afghanistan as I write this, I can't help but note what an interesting and informative read this will be to the enemy.  It will doubtlessly find it's way into the Taliban camp, adequately translated into their language.  This is a valid concern and one that I'm not sure how to deal with.  The Army was eager to accommodate the author's access needs, and we now have the 21st century censorship taboo to honor.  I hope this book doesn't result in cost of American lives.

Still - War is unusually candid.  Timelines jump aroung and are hard to follow, and the personalities become likewise jumbled.  I wish the author/publisher would have included some maps of the Korengal Valley.  I eventually constructed a mind picture that seemed to jibe with the narrative, but it was a continual distraction.  But it's a safe way to vicariously live in the Korengal and patrol with the U.S. soldiers there.  I also appreciated Junger's side trips into the mentality and basic psychology of warfare and fear, along with some infantry tactics 101.

It's a good account - educational and reasonably non-judgemental.  Well written and was worth my reading time I think. Kudos to Junger for being willing to walk the walk to a great degree.  What he did was dangerous.
243120
I felt that I understood the story more. It does have a lot of errors. But in the end I liked reading his view of things
912217
The author covers many aspects of the war as well as many points of view. I particularly enjoy how he ties in contemporary reports from soldiers on the front lines with the historical record. If you want an understanding of the events that caused the war and those that followed you cant go wrong with this one.
2288358
The author's personal experience with our country's foreign relations is very eye-opening.  But, not too surprising!  He's just better at portraying what the situation really is than most.  I enjoyed this book.  I would recomend it.
1346418
Historically Sajer might have some issues with times and places, but that he admits he might be wrong, and who can blame him in the "fog of war".  Some debate if it is a biography of the war or fiction, I believe it to be real and his experience.  No single book can encapsulate the horrific struggle that occured on the Eastern front, but Sajer adds a very vivid piece to this terrifying montage
1512870
I bought all six volumes and am halfway through the third. This is a unique work. It is a detailed history, but unlike a historian, he is able to write about things said in cabinet meeting which were not recorded in minutes, or the tone and affect of the Japanese Ambassador, as he promised not to enter the war. It is also very personal and candid. He takes full ownership for all decisions, including the biggest failures. And he has a dry wit. What is fascinating is thus far he has only expressed satisfaction that British losses in a battle were a fraction of the enemy's. Nothing is said about the tragedy of each life lost. And, he expects British and Colonial soldiers to fight to the death under hopeless situations, when asked, for strategic reasons. It amazed me that he knew his people so well. It gives you a sense of what it feels like to fight a battle for survival of your nation and freedom.
2152397
Well researched  and very detailed. The book did fill in some detail of the period that I did not know. I lived through the war years mostly as a young boy and so was  vitally interested in the progress of the war even though the information released to the public was not very detailed. Well written and worth the time to read it.
4830738
Robert Citino takes a foundational view of Prussian (later German) way of seeing warfare that has led to the war fighting patterns observable over the past 400 years.  Specific viewpoints based in the economic and population base of the Prussian state of 400 years ago led to a way of fighting that is recognizable throughout the history since.

Citino looks to Frederick William I as the progenitor of the Prussian way of war in the modern era.  Frederick ruled a nation "on the periphery of the Holy Roman Empire" which had a very limited economy and a small population.  It was impossible to field and maintain a large army for an extended war.  Therefore, the Prussians had to fight to win very short, violent wars.  The only way to do this was to attack the enemy with the utmost aggression.  The best way to attack was to maneuver onto the enemy's flank or into his rear and destroy him.

According to Citino, this thinking is the basis for Prussian/German organization, training, and operation from Frederick's time forward.  The author provides us with many examples of this modus operendi in action covered the era from Frederick William I to Operation Barbarossa.  The author also points out where the Prussian way of war is deficient--logistics and intelligence being among the most important shortcomings.

I found this book superb.  Seeing German military history through the lens of Prussian military philosophy makes what has been previously mysterious understandable.  Despite years of reading WW2 history, I still could never get my head around certain concepts.  Why were the Germans so unprepared for the end of the campaign season in 1941?  Why were they so reluctant to go into winter positions when they had time?  Why was the logistical effort so poorly planned and executed compared to the operational effort?  Various authors have made various claims which never really satisfied me.  Seen through the lens of Prussian bias, the events of the 1941 campaign make perfect sense.  The Germans made every effort to finish the war in a single campaign.  They were so strongly temperamentally disinclined (especially Hitler) to go to the defensive with the enemy still in the field against them that the Germans pushed until they literally ran out of strength.  The WW1 experience only reinforced their determination not to go into prepared positions until the offensive options had been exhausted.  Ultimately, there was no rational reason for the Germans to refuse to get themselves ready for Winter 1941-1942.  They simply couldn't bring themselves to do it because doing so went against everything they believed.

This book would be a valuable addition to any library with a section for military history.
75641
It gives great details on what led up to the war. It describes the war in detail and makes it easily understandable.