Excellent history of OBX
590711
These various stories about the entire Outer Banks of NC really hold your interest. You realize this area has been a favorite playground for years before cars or trains were around.
2465594
While visiting my aunt in Olympia, WA in March 1989, she took me on the ferry over to Victoria, British Columbia.  We met Bill Smith and his 4 daughters on the ride over, encountered them a few times during our day visit, and then sat with them on the ferry ride back at days end.  Even was behind them on the interstate to I believe it was the Bremerton exit, where Mr. Smith and the girls honked and waved bye to us as they were off to visit an aunt.  My aunt got two picture of the Smith family that day on the ferry, which I still have.  The girls had told my aunt that one of their favorite treats was sardines.  My aunt got their address from their dad and sent the girls a case of sardines the following week.  She (my aunt) then received hand written thank you notes with drawings.  Imagine the shock and surprise of my aunt, and myself, when 3 years later we heard about the sad and tragic events that had taken place.  The author of this book is an excellent writer and I sat and read it from cover to cover as it definitely held my attention.  Though my aunt had sent me a few copies of the newspaper articles during the trial, the details in the book filled in a lot of the blanks and gave precise and detailed information.  Thank you to the author for an excellent read!
4448842
At nearly 400 pages, the 2007 Submarine Almanac is a pretty heavy book, and it's heavy on great articles too. Published by Subsim.com's Neal Stevens, it's an amalgamation of stories, anecdotes, articles and amusing tales all about subs.

The Subsim website, which 'surfaced' over ten years ago, is an online community of people from all around the world with an interest not just in submarines, but all things nautical, many of whom are contributors to this book. And with over 25,000 people registered at subsim.com, as you can probably imagine, that means there is a wealth of knowledge and information in the 2007 Submarine Almanac, with articles from historians, past and present sub crew members, and people who probably know more about submarines than just about anyone.

I got this book around six months ago, and I'm still going back to it and reading it all the time, because it's got some real - if you'll pardon the pun - 'in depth' articles about stuff you simply will not find anywhere else. For example, there is some great info on the First World War German Flanders submarine fleet which, short of translating German official documents for yourself, 'just aint out there'. Similarly, there's a great contribution from Tim Grab concerning being a new 'Nuke' crew member aboard the Los Angeles class USS Annapolis which details stuff that, if you're interested in subs, is worth its weight in gold as well as being a very entertaining read too. This should give you some idea of the scope of this book.

So whether you are a real sub nut, or even if you only have a passing interest in the things but enjoy a good read, this one should definitely be on your bookshelf, although it probably won't sit there very often! Thoroughly and unhesitatingly recommended.
1365798
This book gives the history of game console systems, from way back in the Pong days (early 1970's) through the XBOX.  It offers pictures of the systems, explains the great and not-so-great features of each console, talks about revisions and special editions.  Whether you were there and actually owned an old Atari 2600 or Commodore VIC-20 or if you are just interested in the history of console gaming, this is a great reference.
4190739
A great story of Norberts overfishing history and tales. It's common info in the overfishing community, no secrets revealed here. But you have to love the guys enthusiasm for the sport. He knows what's happening to our sport and he is making his view on the matter known. Loved it, tight lines Norbert!
2521686
An in depth look at the game industry from the very early forms of pinball to the more modern TV consoles.  A broad and historical look at some of the major players.  The Atari section is detailed and the accounts of Steve Jobs were fleshed out better than the latest Jobs biography.  Nintendo, Sega, and Playstation, and more companies you may have never heard, of competing for dollars and the engineers competing for ideas.
I felt that the details never bogged down the stories.  Loads of stories and first hand accounts.
Strongly recommended for anyone who's played a game or two.
2766490
Purchased this for my husband after a weekend get away to New Orleans, and a visit to the Battleground.
Excellent read for anyone interested in this piece of history. My husband loved the book, and learned more than he thought he knew about this battle, and the history.
1331368
Well written history of the Expos franchise. I really enjoyed the 'behind the scenes' stories about the players and their lives in Montreal.
98810
Excellent history of Major Winters' and his unit.
248650
I bought this expecting a fairly routine review of naval history with a British focus.  Got that, plus much more!  First, Professor Black was remarkably ecumenical in his approach to naval history.  He addressed many navies beyond the European ones, all with equal vigor and depth, to the extent that there was something to talk about.  Japan, China, and even Hawaiian navies were discussed.  Western navy issues obviously dominated, and that was a central theme of the book, but it was placed in context in a way I had not seen before.  Very nicely done.

Secondly, the book is full of interesting naval "fun facts" and insights that go well beyond the routine items that other histories trot out.  This kept the book fresh and interesting, even when covering well known historical events.

Overall, a good read.  Equally useful for the novice or the avid history reader.
4760287
I bought this book not knowing anything about Steve Schwartzman or Blackstone, and this book did a great job filling me in on the company history and different aspects as they grew.  I like business books and company biographies, and this was one of my favorites recently.  Very well written and informative.
2726238
The authors have done a nice job at summarizing the history of George Hurst and his company.  They cover the signficant product histories and growth of the company throughout the years.  While it would be desireable to have more details on any subject, this book is a nice compendium of this innovative company.  I recommend it to all that want to know some more about Hurst.
928809
This book by Steve Ginter fills an important void in the history of naval aviation. While I am a fan of the Powell and Peacock RA-5C books (from the Osprey Combat Aircraft Series), and recommend them highly also, this book not only covers developmental and operational history of the Vigilante, but also has extremely detailed photographs and illustrations (many from original Navy manuals) covering all areas of the aircraft, including the cockpits, an area curiously omitted in the Osprey books.

The strength of this book is not only the illustrations, but the captions that go with them which obviously required quite a bit of research. Historians and modelers alike will love this book for its attention to detail and its ease of use: it has developmental and operational histories of the different variants (though most is focused on the RA-5C), a section detailing every unit that flew the aircraft, a review of model kits of the aircraft (Trumpeter's newest model is not covered as it was coming out as the book went to press), and other relevant information.

I commend this book highly to everyone interested in naval aviation, the Vietnam war, or the history of this remarkable aircraft.
3872163
What a great trip through history on the Chesapeake. As an Oyster Police/Oyster War historian, I highly recommend reading this.
4579057
The author does an excellent job of describing in detail the various
duties the Marines had in China and their role in late 19th and
early 20th century history. I was never a Marine only an enlisted
Army support soldier. That said those who have never served
or do not possess this book need to consider reading it as it
has a lot of fantastic adventure stories of the USMC and gives
insight into a wide range of early 20th Century Chinese history
from the Marines perspective. Well written.
3317827
Excellent book. Pricey but the quality of the print and pictures is worth it. The way the topics are organized are great. Quick read for a lot of info. Very concise and all the "must know" info is there.  I like it better then the two volumes bx series that everybody gets.
4661014
These four sister ships, built by Cunard in the 1950s for the Canada route had long and varied histories.  They are all well told by the author and very well illustrated with a reasonable number of interior shots throughout.  I enjoyed this book greatly and am very glad to have it in my library.