A surprisingly good coffee table book of military history
347401
Full-color coffee-table volumes like this can be a great way to lose an afternoon, as long as they're reasonably well done -- and this one is. The first thing to remember is that one side's disaster is the other side's victory, so you'll probably find some battles and campaigns here you wouldn't have expected. Gallipoli and the Charge of the Light Brigade, naturally -- but also Agincourt, Midway, and Stalingrad, which were certainly disastrous for the losing side. They start with Cannae in 216 BC, in which Hannibal convincingly beat the Roman army, largely through the then revolutionary "double envelopment" strategy. The only other confrontation from the ancient world is the Teutoburg Forest, where three legions were destroyed utterly. (I'm a bit surprised they didn't include any of Alexander's key battles, which were complete disasters for the Persians, or Actium in 31 BC, which was a definitive victory for Octavian and a total disaster for Mark Antony, and which ended a generation of civil war.) In fact, half the twenty-four battles described are from the American Civil War or later. (And I don't know that I would describe Gettysburg as a "disaster" for the losing side.) To evaluate the accuracy of a book like this, I go to those topics I'm uncommonly familiar with, which in this case means San Jacinto in 1836. Considering that this is the work of British authors, and that they often have an odd take on U.S. history, that chapter is actually quite good. The most recent engagement included is Mogadishu in 1993 -- inarguably both a military and political disaster for the U.S.

There are reproductions of portraits and paintings and engravings on nearly every page until we reach the photographic era, and weapons and military units of special interest are discussed in some detail. And for each battle, there's a two-page-spread tactical map with a full key to the action.
3699406
A summary of the review on StrategyPage. Com:

'In Besieged Rhodes, military historian DeVries and museum curator Smith, previously the authors of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Medieval-Military-Technology-Second-Edition/dp/1442604972/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Medieval Military Technology, Second Edition</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Medieval-Weapons-An-Illustrated-History-of-Their-Impact/dp/1851095268/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Medieval Weapons: An Illustrated History of Their Impact</a>, again  join forces, this time to retell the story of the long defense of Rhodes by the Knights Hospitaler against the Ottomans, who failed to take the island fortress in 1480, after which there followed a long uneasy peace, and a renewed and very successful siege in 1522. The authors draw upon many sources, including, documents, letters, and personal narratives, and make excellent use of physical evidence as well, with an analysis of the defenses, the siege works, and the weaponry, plus a look at the principal leaders, and supported by numerous illustrations. The events are firmly placed within earlier history of the Knights and the larger theater of European-Mediterranean politics. Despite a surprising lack of maps (some of the illustrations help), Besieged Rhodes is not only a very good account of these critical events, but also provides a good look at the evolution of siege craft in the period.'

For the full review, see StrategyPage. Com
4899106
This small book (just 72 pages) consists basically of a collection of (good) pictures, with its respective legends, most of them unpublished until now (at least in the books I got). The stile is similar to "Aircraft of The Luftwaffe Fighter Aces", from Bernd Barbas's. Noteworthy is the initial section, with 11 (eleven) WWII original color pictures, most from the famous Jeff Ethell's private collection. A small introduction summarizes the facts from the birth of Luftwaffe to the end of 1942 (the remaining story is told in the volume 6, " Defeat in the West, 1943-1945, from Mike Spick). The pictures, most in close-ups, are an excellent reference for modelers. As this book is part of a collection, which covers the Luftwaffe action over all fronts, I recommend the purchase of all of them.
553849
This is a Fedorowicz book on the Battles of Vitebsk in the winter of 1943/44. The author notes that these battles are underrepresented (practically non-existent) in the Western literature of the war. (Restayn wrote this before David Glantz published his&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Battle-for-Belorussia-The-Red-Army-s-Forgotten-Campaign-of-October-1943-April-1944-Modern-War-Studies/dp/0700623299/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Battle for Belorussia: The Red Army's Forgotten Campaign of October 1943 - April 1944 (Modern War Studies)</a>&nbsp;which covers this battle in exhaustive detail.

First of all, why should you care about this battle? What's interesting about it? Principally, the Germans had some Tigers at their disposal, and thus this book has a number of photos and illustrations of this always-fascinating tank.

What do you get for your $86 plus shipping?
- 16 pages of text describing the military situation, which is really all you need unless you want Glantz-level of detail

- 130 pages of black & white photos. These are generally large (half or full page) and of high quality. Mainly Tiger, Pz III, Pz IV, StuG III, some of artillery and personnel. No famous soldiers, no Waffen SS.

- 33 pages of color illustrations, mostly of the above-mentioned tanks but also some Soviet tanks (T-34, T-70, KV-1, SU-152).

- 9 pages of order of battle information.

So yeah, this book really is a bit thin for the price. Certainly isn't the first JJF book I'd buy, and there are lots better JJF books on Tigers. I didn't look carefully at the page count when I ordered it, oh well. However, I collect JJF books and I would have bought it eventually anyway.

As always with JJF, the book itself is of very high quality. A few typos in the text but overall a great job.
1628390
In "The Generals' War: The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf," Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor have crafted a fascinating work of military history.  As the title indicates, the book places a heavy emphasis on the actions of the senior military officers involved in the planning and execution of the U.S.-led coalition's 1991 war against Iraq.  In the preface, the authors note that this conflict "is without precedent in the annals of warfare.  It was the dawn of a new era" (page x).

In their acknowledgements section, the authors discuss in detail the research that went into the writing of this book.  They note that they interviewed administration officials, diplomats, allied military officers, and intelligence experts; they observe further that some "talked on the record; others on a not-for-attribution basis."  They also drew on written responses that former president George Bush provided to their questions.  Their research is meticulously documented in a lengthy set of endnotes (pages 479-520), thus enhancing the book's credibility.  The text is further enhanced by thirteen detailed and clearly drawn maps that illuminate many aspects of the war: the Iraqi air defense system, coalition force deployment and movement, locations of oil fields, and more.  Also included are photographs of many of the senior leaders involved in the war.

The book is full of fascinating details about many aspects of the war.  The authors discuss the participation of various coalition forces in the campaign, as well as the diplomatic activities involving the USSR, Egypt, and other nations.  Also discussed are friendly fire incidents and Iraqi POWs.  I was particularly interested in the many details about the military hardware used by both coalition and Iraqi forces; the authors cover aircraft, naval vessels, sea and land mines, mine-clearing gear, tanks, and more.  There are some really noteworthy battle scenes; particularly vivid is a description of a tank battle between U.S. and Iraqi forces--"an impressive tableau of destruction."

Gordon and Trainor are pointedly critical of many aspects of the conduct of the war.  They discuss examples of rivalry and poor coordination between the different branches of the U.S. military, and also criticize the French and the Saudis.  But the strongest and most sustained criticism is directed at General Norman Schwarzkopf.  The authors assess both his command style and planning of the war and ultimately fault him for failing to achieve true joint warfare.  The book places a heavy emphasis on the battle of Khafji; the authors discuss this engagement in detail and criticize both Schwarzkopf and General Colin Powell for failing to grasp its lessons.

Gordon and Trainor note that the Persian Gulf War was "a laboratory for the American military's new weapons and fighting doctrines."  This well-written book vividly shows how hardware, tactics, diplomatic concerns, and personalities came together in the fighting of this war.  This is a valuable addition to the military history of the late 20th century.
863588
This was the first nonfiction "graphic novel" I've read and I enjoyed it a great deal. I think the history is good and well written. The graphics are also excellent and entertaining. There are a small number of criticisms, like on page 75 the author states that we "had our tank aces too" and mentions Sgt Lafayette Pool of the 3rd Armored Division, but doesn't say what made him a "tank ace." At the same time, however, the book actually mentioned some things I did not know about the Normandy Campaign, like on page 59 where Vansant tells us that Sgt Curtis Culin of the 79th Infantry Division invented the "Hedgerow Cutter" that mounted on armored vehicles to help them bust through hedgerows.

I enjoyed the book, no doubt, but I still like to get my history from a traditional book or documentary. However, I wonder, and hope, that this kind of history book would engage anyone, not just the young. And anything that gets more people tuned in to history is more than okay with me.
4481782
Joseph Rosa presents us with a stunning visual collection of photographs, mainly featuring fine specimens of mid to late 19th century firearms, and vintage photos of emminent gun-fighters of the era. There are several interesting nostalgic paintings displayed as well, by artists such as N.C. Wyeth. Although the illustrations are the most striking feature of this book by far, there is plenty of interesting text as well. The chapters within cover these topics: The Violent West, Feuds and Range Wars, Cowboys and Cowtown Chaos, Law and Order: From Gun to Gavel. In general, this book is an enthralling visual catalog of the firearms, both famous and obscure, that were utilized in the American West during the years 1840 to 1900. Within you will see collections of rifles, pistols, shotguns, and miscellenous historical relics, all arranged in vivid color layouts.
1863618
This book is a good survey of weapons of the Waffen-SS.  As with the author's other fine books, it includes numerous well-selected and well-reproduced photos of the matters under discussion.

The book includes an introductory chapter on the origin and development of the Waffen-SS, including its continuing clashes with the German Army in getting any weapons other than small arms, at least before 1942 when the Waffen-SS had proved itself and its numbers rose significantly.

There are also chapters on edged weapons, small arms, artillery, armoured cars, and tanks and other armoured vehicles.  The information provided on each weapon includes not only a basic history, production numbers and duration, and use but also a lot of technical data such as barrel length, muzzle velocity, usw.  Despite the apparent dryness of my description, the text is actually interesting to read and includes anecdotal information about production of the weapons and their use in the field.

The only shortcomings I found were that I thought the chapters on edged weapons and small arms were given short shrift, both as to a description of the types of weapons available and photos of those used.  For example, the author states fighting knives were often privately purchased and of commercial manufacture and thus a great variety were used.  Fair enough, but then the author declines to discuss, or show a photo of, a single example of any such weapons.  Similarly, the author states over two dozen types of pistols were used but discusses, and shows photos, of only the well-recognized ones, e.g., the P 08 Luger and Walther P-38.  (In addition, the version of the infamous Sturmgeschutz 44 light machinegun with a curved barrel that could supposedly shoot around corners is discussed, but no photo of this most interesting of weapons is shown, however, this may not be the fault of the author as I have yet to see a photo [or even schematic] of it despite its mention in numerous books.)
2757667
A History of the World in 100 Weapons

Chris McNab is an author and editor who has published over 25 books. Andrew Roberts says warfare is the driving force of history. [Not economics? War is about loot, to get it or to keep it.] This book tells about the weapons, how they were deployed, how battlefield tactics evolved, and how it was like to use them and defend against them (Foreword). Weapons can be divided into eight categories: artillery, handheld weapons, handheld projectiles, missiles, land armor, seaborne, airborne, and bombs. Mass-produced weapons can overwhelm fewer weapons, simplicity of production and use is vital. This book tries to view history by military weapons (Introduction). It has seven chapters, Acknowledgments, Endnotes, and an Index in its 384 pages.

These weapons are not easily summarized in this review. These are the seven chapters.
1) The Ancient World 5000BC-AD500.
2) The Medieval World 500-1500.
3) The Early Modern World 1500-1800.
4) Imperial Wars 1800-1914.
5) World War I 1914-1918.
6) World War II 1939-1945.
7) Modern Warfare 1945-Present.

What is the best method of defense? It is to attack, said Napoleon. You can keep this in mind as you read this lavishly illustrated book. One advance leads to a new weapon. Armored vehicles or tanks were followed by hand-held rocket launchers (bazookas). The last two or three chapters should interest the general reader by providing information you won't get from the Corporate Media. Is warfare inherent in human nature? Love and money, or lust and greed, are the prime motivators for murder in true crime stories.
4753702
I may be late in writing this review, but I picked up this book recently to understand more about the circumstances endured by Wellington's troops on the Penisula and their campaign.  I was not disappointed!

  Author Urban covers only the 95th Rifle Regiment, but to attempt more would have seriously detracted from his story.  The Regiment performed brilliantly, with warts and all, proving that open, skirmisher formations were the wave of the future, something that had to be learned again by American Generals in the Civil War.

  Urban's focus on individuals to tell his story produced excellent readability and allowed the reader to become involved with the book's leading characters.  One almost sees the hardships, leadership problems, bravery and emotions of the riflemen.  Few authors can achieve this degree of connection with his readers in an historical work -- Urban's counterpart in writing about a later war might be Stephen Ambrose.

  This would be an excellent primer on life in a Napoleonic army, except that the riflemen were relatively unique for their time.  They stressed marksmanship, and even as light troops could withstand attacks by line troops.  They were tactical descendents from the American riflemen in the Revolutionary War who are normally denigrated today by historians.  Apparently contemporary historians have misunderstood riflemen -- there usefulness was not limited by their slow rate of fire but by a lack of training and discipline.  The 95th did not suffer from a lack of training and discipline, and there is much to learn here that can be applied elsewhere.

  My only criticism concerns the maps.  They were of limited usefulness, and I found myself using the maps contained in a little book, "Napoleon's Campaigns" by Bruce Quarrie to understand the troop deployments and movements in the various battles.  The prose is sometimes difficult to follow for an individual desiring to maintain an image of the battles in his head while reading, and better maps would be a plus.

  All in all, if you're interested in the Napoleonic era, its armies, soldiers' lives and how warfare was conducted, then buy this book.
4156107
As someone who owns many texts written by German nationals, I have to preface this by stating that the grammar and syntax seem to have suffered significantly from being poorly translated or at least written in English, by someone who's sentence structure in their native language is far different from ours. I find myself sitting with a pen and erasing needless words, or changing others so that they make sense to a native English speaker.

That said, this is a very fine book, with some incredibly rare photographs. The author even manages to get in a brief chapter on the Sturmmorser Panzer, which I feel is one of the rarer, and more interesting tanks of the Second World War. Moreover, the author admits from the start that the Ferdinands did have a flawed drive system, but brings up many of their positive points as well. Mr. Anderson discusses the merits of the Ferdinand and compares it with the rivals it faced in Africa and Russia, especially the T-34. The author even went to the trouble of conducting numerous oral history interviews with Russian tankers, in order to get a feel for how they felt the Ferdinand performed in comparison with their vehicles, and whether they suffered from similar mechanical reliability issues.

Lastly, Mr. Andersen covers many of the technical subsystems of the Ferdinands in detail, including the evolution of the canons utilized as well as the small arms carried on-board. Overall, this is an excellent reference work for the WWII armored warfare enthusiast, provided that one can look past the syntax and grammar issues.
1579913
Over the years, there have been a number of books published featuring photographs of military aircraft in storage. The latest is BONEYARD NOSE ART by Nicholas Veronico, Jim Dunn and Ron Strong. A 2013 Stackpole Books release, it offers up 172 pages of full-color pix of U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT MARKINGS AND ARTWORK.

After an introductory chapter on the history and development of nose art, the book arranges its pix into chapters on Fighters, Bombers, Tankers/Transports and Helicopters/Special-Use Aircraft. The reader is treated to page after page of general and close-up views of 'pickled' F-4s, F-15s, F-111s, B-52s, B-1s, P-3s, KC-135s, C-5As, C-130s, E-2Cs, MH-53s, SH-60s, etc. Especially interesting are the odds 'n mods included such as the YAL-1, D-21 and NP-3D. Each photograph is nicely-captioned, which isn't always the case in such books..

Viewing books like BONEYARD NOSE ART is always a bittersweet experience to me. You marvel at the often intricate and imaginative artwork, wonder about the history that a/c made and feel sad that those birds are about to be reduced to scrap.

in any case, warbird buffs will enjoy BONEYARD NOSE ART. It offers a last - and lasting - tribute to some military aircraft that made history. Recommended.
1184692
I decided to buy "Eyewitnesses to the Civil War" based on the reviews - and am very glad I did. Found a new copy from an Amazon-affiliated dealer for under $10.00, which is a wonderful deal for a nice coffee table book of over 400 pages, filled with interesting Civil War articles and 375 photos of battle fields, daguerrotype portraits, uniforms and gear. It is with pleasure that I recommend it to you.
4230734
Tin Hats to Composite Helmets presents a specific field of military collecting and history in a manner that is satisfying for most purposes.  Coverage is by country in alphabetical order, making it easy to find a specific group of helmets.  Period images complement the contemporary shots of example helmets.  In addition to the regular combat steel helmets found in most books on the subject, the author has sections on civil defense and limited production pieces.  There is not great depth to any country or type, but it is a survey book and not intended to be comprehensive.  Two things that annoyed me were the author's insistence that the US 1st Cav division is actually the 2nd Cav Div. and the omission of the Japanese WWII tankers' helmet, which is not too hard to locate to be photographed.  In spite of that, I enjoyed the book and felt it worth my time and money.
345688
This is a great read - well written and filled with a myriad of rare pictures.  If you like unit specific military history, the National Guard, or the Wisconsin National Guard, you need this for your collection.
1791327
I have not purchased the original one-volume Kagero Monograph (#41), so I can't comment on what was repeated from that in this publication. In the 110 pages, only 25 are text on the operational use of the plane. These pages are very well illustrated with photos, many of which are completely new to me. (And I've been a modeler since the mid-60's.) The majority of this volume (as opposed to&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/HEINKEL-HE-219-UHU-VOL-I-Monographs-3d-Edition/dp/836287841X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">HEINKEL HE 219 UHU VOL. I (Monographs, 3d Edition)</a>) is dedicated to 3D CAD model illustrations of just about every aspect of the 219 inside and out. These are of photographic realism, and achieve a sense of the construction, armament, landing gear and crewstation design that simply could NOT be done in any other way. You really have to see these to appreciate the realism. Also included is a large (approximately 32" x 23") two-sided sheet of 1/32 scale plan and side views with details of the cockpit, Revi 16B gunsight, and DB 603A engine.  There are no color profiles in this volume.

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/HEINKEL-HE-219-UHU-VOL-I/dp/836287841X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">HEINKEL HE 219 UHU VOL. I</a>&nbsp;of the series has 94 pages with 29 of them also being similar 3D models of exclusively the main elements of the crewstation, ejection seats, armored glass and main instrument panel. Volume 1 also has 13 pages of photos of the restored Smithsonian bird and both 1/72 and 1/48 line drawings.

The two volumes together present the most comprehensive reference I've ever seen on the He-219, and if I were going to build the Revell or ESPECIALLY the Zoukei-Mura model, I would consider both volumes an absolute necessity.

I give it only 4 stars because there isn't a word on the evolution of the camouflage of the 219 in either volume. The value of the two volumes is excellent, but without ANY treatment of the assorted versions of camouflage this ground-breaking aircraft wore, I was left just a bit disappointed.
2119086
As I read countless historical books about one of my favorite subject, I thoroughly enjoy having this companion and it's voluminous amount of ancillary information at an arms reach.  I can open it up to check one specific subject on which I have a question and then an hour later find myself still surfing around the book from subject to subject.  A fascinating compilation of American Military History.