Reviews (6)

Outstanding book!
Without question, probably the FINEST history of submarines.Well written and many, many photos all bound into a beautifull book.A worthwhile addition to any library.

A Masterpiece!!
The best book on submarines you will ever find!!Enough said!

A great reference. The one sub book to buy.
I spent 6 years on a ballistic missile submarine and I have a great interest in the history and current developments of the Silent Service. If you are a veteran submariner, you will like the way the book is put together. It has great photos and it is truly a beautifully made book that you can pass along to a son or grandson to share the pride us "bubbleheads" all share.Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: American    4. Military - United States    5. Military Science    6. Submarines   

Reviews (7)

INTRIGUING
According to the author, the key to his success was to break down the prisoner's resistance by surprising him with unexpected, inside knowledge - for example, from a photograph inadvertently shot by an airplane's gun camera or gleaned from
Did you guys even read this book?
Sure, this book has some facts in it, but so does the encyclopedia. I'm not urging anyone to go out and buy a set of those either.This book was very dry reading.I think reading can labels is far more interesting than this book.I'm sure the other readers of this book enjoyed it for the fascination with the facts -- as I am. But to give this book good stars just because he threw in some facts would be an outrage.

Interrogation Techniques Used on American Airmen During WWII
Having researched the history of the post that was formerly Dulag Luft as it is known. "Auswerstelle West" as it should have been referred to after 1941. I found this book to be extremely helpful. As children we always think of torture when it came to interrogations- the common tv perception. It was refreshing to find that the techniques used were not that much different than those employed by today's law enforcement- no not the TV cops with the physical abuse. I grew up on the post, later a US Army post, and the rumors were rampant.I also find it refreshing to see that the Author, Raymond Toliver, a true historian, who has a passion for the subject, addressed the issues of how prisoners were treated by the allies after the war. This book is a must read for anyone who is serious about researching how allied pilots were treated. It would also serve those who are serving today to see the trickery- craft- used by the interrogors.It was also amazing to learn the types of intelligence collected and how it was collated. 5 stars a must read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (Hanns-Joachim),    2. 1907-1992    3. Fighter pilots    4. Germany    5. History - Military / War    6. History: World    7. Military - World War II    8. Military intelligence    9. Military interrogation    10. Scharff, Hanns-J    11. United States    12. World War, 1939-1945    13. Biography: general    14. Modern fiction   

Reviews (3)

Diplomacy and War like Chess
In this volume(and the 3 that will follow) Kagan sets out to write a military/diplomatic history of the Napoleonic period.The first 200 pages give an overview of how the war of the First Coalition came about. Then there are some 100 pages devoted to the french and allied war plans and the rest of the book covers the war itself.This is a work of explanation and interpretation and the focus is on the diplomats and generals who made the important decisions.There is no spotlight on the idiosyncracies of individuals perse ,but only if it is important to explain some decision taken by that person. Likewise the descriptions of battles are explanatory. There is no blood and guts. All in all it is a bit like a game of chess and the best explanatory book i have read about Napoleonic Europe. The author, in contrast to most other books about this time, devotes an equal amount of space to the French and the Allies and is evenhanded in the condemnation or praise he bestows on the belligerents.It is simply not true as an other reviewer has it that this is the old Napoleon as Ogre story all over again.Knowing the author's very rightleaning political views i indeed started reading this book with some trepidation, but was pleasantly suprised that Kagan did'nt let those views cloud his judgement.Repeatedly Kagan stresses that it was'nt Napoleon who wanted this war but Tsar Alexander. Of course you can take exception with the author's interpretation of motives and events but that applies to every thesis. At least Kagan does't parrot every other author and his analysis is based on thorough archival investigation. This is not a book for the novice but if you want to know the ins and outs of Napoleonic Europe, have an analytical bend and value clear and uncluttered prose this is the book for you. Highly recommended. Hats of for Frederick Kagan and counting down to the next volume.

The Myth of the Corsican Ogre...
This volume, while interesting in places, is neither brilliant nor monumental, except for its length.
An interesting thesis
According to Frederick Kagan it was the mistakes made by European nations and not Napoleon's brilliance that lead to France dominating Europe in the first decade of the nineteenth century. First according to Kagan distrust among Britain, Prussia, Austria, and Russia made them form an alliance too late, and in Prussia's case to opt out until the very last moment. Kagan is especially critical of Tsar Alexander I for alienating potential allies by his overly idealistic version of postwar Europe in which both Prussia and Austria would have diminished power in exchange for greater influence of the smaller states in Central Europe. Kagan is also critical of the Austrian leadership for putting too many soldiers in Italy instead of Germany and at General Mack for not retreating from his overextended forces from Ulm. Also Archduke Charles failed to move sufficient forces from Italy to help Mack in Germany. Kagan is especially harsh on Tsar Alexander I for overextending his forces in Italy, around Prussia, and the Balkans, while failing to concentrate them in southern Germany in order to cooperate better with the Austrians. Finally Tsar Alexander I ordered Kutuzov to on the offensive prematurely before the disasterous Austro-Russian defeat at Austerlitz. Although I strongly disagree with Frederick Kagan's personal politics, he does write excellent military history. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1769-1821    2. 1789-1815    3. 19th Century World History    4. Emperor of the French,    5. Europe - General    6. Europe - History    7. France    8. General    9. History    10. History - General History    11. History: World    12. Military - Napoleonic Wars    13. Napoleon    14. Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815    15. Politics and government    16. Battles & campaigns    17. Biography: historical    18. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    19. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (24)

The Overland Series
The Battle of the Wilderness May 5-6, 1864
The Wilderness Campaign
Rhea has done an excellent job of sorting out fact from friction in this major civil war campaign. I have read several accounts including Grant's own biographical account of the wilderness battle. This is by far the most complete coverage of the two critical days of the conflict. I especially enjoyed reading the account of the medical treatment associated with the fatal wounding of Union General James S. Wadsworth. Wadsworth was a major land holder and statesmen in the Genesse Valley near Rochester NY were I grow up. I had never heard of the unsusal story of the rebel farmer who went to his aid and eventually claimed the General's remains. This kind of detail makes the author's account of the people in the terrible collision of forces so remarkable. This is a classic narrative of the final wilderness tragedy where so many on both sides lost thier life in early 1864 to end the conflict. The beginning of the end of the rebellion by attrition.

Excellent Narrative of a Bloody and Confusing Battle
In my humble opinion, Rhea has written what I believe to be the definitive account of one of the war's most bloody and savage battles.Rhea's writing style is clear and crisp - easy enough for the layperson yet technical enough to challenge the thinking of historians and military professionals.
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Subjects:  1. History - Military / War    2. History: American    3. Military - General    4. Military History - U.S. Civil War    5. United States - Civil War    6. United States - Revolutionary War    7. Wilderness, Battle of the, 186    8. Wilderness, Battle of the, 1864    9. Wilderness, Battle of the, Va    10. Wilderness, Battle of the, Va., 1864    11. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    12. Civil war    13. USA   

Editorial Review

You can think of Read more

Reviews (56)

Overall a very good history of the United States from 1929 - 1945
David Kennedy's "Freedom from Fear," the 9th volume of the Oxford History of the United States, is a generally exceptionally well researched history covering from the Great Depression to the end of World War II. In this book, Kennedy offers a summary and a synthesis of research by dozens of historians, as well as giving his own personal interpretations of key events and individuals.
An Impressive Book
Freedom From Fear is an exhaustive study of America and its people during two of this country's most defining periods, the Great Depression and World War II. David Kennedy packs a lot of information in this very substantial book while maintaining a very readable study of this important period in American history. While the book is geared towards the general reader, it doesn't lack for analysis, which makes this both an accessible and very informative book.
Sweeping American Saga
Despite the newfound popularity of social history, and ethnic history, and gender history, it's nice to just sit down and sink my teeth into a nice old-fashioned survey history of America. Heavy on political history, Freedom from Fear tells the story of America during the Great Depression and the Second World War. It is a survey, but it is broad and deep, running more than eight hundred pages to cover about sixteen years. David Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize winning text is worth every penny.
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Subjects:  1. 1919-1933    2. 1929    3. 1933-1945    4. Depressions    5. History    6. History - U.S.    7. History: American    8. Military - World War II    9. New Deal, 1933-1939    10. U.S. History - Depression And New Deal (1929-1938)    11. United States    12. United States - 20th Century    13. United States - 20th Century (1900-1945)    14. United States - General    15. World War, 1939-1945    16. American history: Second World War    17. History / United States / 20th Century    18. History, American | 1900-1945    19. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    20. Second World War, 1939-1945    21. USA   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (29)

A mile-high pile of stinking propaganda
...from the incompetent drunkard who destroyed the British Empire. This is a worthless series of phony history, valued only by myopic, hero-worshipping American neocons. Churchill was a prime actor in the events he was describing and as such, wrote a self-justifying history designed to make himself look like Pericles, Jesus and Alexander the Great rolled into one. Objective history is written by objective historians, and Churchill was not one.
Great but.....strange!
I'll start by admitting that I have not read the complete, unabridged, six-volume set of Winston Churchill's "The Second World War". I have read the condensed version, which is still a mighty tome, with twelve hundred pages of small print. The book is fascinating in many respects and Churchill was certainly a unique and powerful prose stylist. You can't help but be struck by his phrase-making. Where others might say "..it is of great impoortance that.. etc.", Churchill gives us the immeasurably better "..it is of the highest consequence that...etc."
Churchill
I know the volumes well and I was interested in adding them to my collection. The delivery arrangements were excellent and the price was reasonable.
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: American    4. Military - General    5. Military - World War II    6. World War, 1939-1945    7. History / Military / World War II    8. Second World War, 1939-1945    9. USA    10. World history: Second World War   

Reviews (15)

A guide to understanding Japanese Culture, Business, and History
"Bushido: The Way of the Samurai" is an easy to read text based on Hagakure. Hagakure privides the ideal Samurai's code of conduct, according to the original author Tunetomo Yamamoto (1659).
There are better translations, but
I loved ths book. I've read the art of war, but this is more of a life style book. I beleive this should be required reading for all teenage children in the US. really I think the entire country could benefit from it. In my opinion anyway.

Good
The author does a very nice job explaining many of the priciples of Bushido, and applying it to today's circumstances. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bushido    2. Early works to 1800    3. Eastern - General    4. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    5. Japanese Philosophy    6. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    7. Mind & Body    8. Philosophy    9. Asian / Middle Eastern history    10. Japan    11. Special & elite forces   

Reviews (1)

A bit dull but nonetheless very informative
There is a fashion among Nelson writers to pick a year or two in Nelson's life and then to write every known thing about him during that time. This is one of those books. Still, it reads well and contains a lot of information (even though it's detail-heavy). I recommend it, but not as strongly as the other new Nelson books out this year (Vincent, Hayward). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1758-1805    2. 18th century    3. Admirals    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. British    8. Caribbean Area    9. Great Britain    10. History    11. Homes and haunts    12. Military    13. Military - General    14. Nelson, Horatio Nelson,    15. Viscount,    16. Biography: general    17. Nelson, Horatio Nelson    18. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (17)

Review ofMemoirs of US Grant
General Grant's use of the English language is very interesting and informative.Absolutely a pleasure to read.

A Masterpiece
This book is a must-read for any Civil War or American history buff. Grant's writing is consistently clear, elegant, beautiful. He gives an engaging account of his wartime experiences that are accurate to the best of his ability, and he writes with introspection and humility. The personal letters at the end of the volume reveal much about this fascinating man, and are a welcome addition. Please read this one! Another wonderful book in this series is the volume containing Frederick Douglass's autobiographical works.

A History Buff's Wet Dream...
This is certainly a great book, and in parts, it is a good book. Grant has a very terse, matter-of-fact style, which makes for easy reading. The bulk of the book is devoted to the Civil War, and there are dry patches, and multitudes of "We went to the ridge, and then to the river, and moved our artillery up to the picket" and such-like. But that is what happened, and so you can't fault Grant for his meticulous detailing of troop movements, correspondence with fellow officers, etc. As I said, the great majority of the book is devoted to the Civil War, and there is not a word about Grant's tenure in the White House. Personally, of all topics covered by Grant, I find him to be most fascinating on the subject of the Mexican-American War of 1847. This is not something commonly focused on in history classes, but Grant's account is riveting. Additionally, Grant's remembrances of Lincoln are very interesting, as is his almost awed reverence for the military abilities of Sherman. The book is long, but it doesn't seem long, and if you have a love of history, this is indispensable stuff. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (Ulysses Simpson),    2. 1822-1885    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Correspondence    7. Generals    8. Grant, Ulysses S    9. Letters    10. Literature - Classics / Criticism    11. Military    12. Military Personnel    13. Presidents    14. U.S. History - Antebellum Period (1840-1860)    15. United States    16. United States - Civil War    17. United States - Reconstruction Period (1865-1877)    18. Literary Collections / Letters   

Reviews (1)

Superb book about a greatly misunderstood spy case
Some people like to call Jonathan Pollard "America's Dreyfus."Pollard's own supporters tried to get the Israeli government to accord him "prisoner of Zion" status (i.e. formal designation as someone suffering persecution for Zionist activities).
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Espionage, Israeli    5. General    6. History    7. Israel    8. Military - Naval    9. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    10. Political Science    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Spies    13. United States    14. United States - 20th Century    15. Espionage & secret services    16. Military intelligence    17. USA    18. c 1980 to c 1990   

Subjects:  1. Antiques    2. Antiques & Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Firearms & Weapons    5. Shooting    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Militaria, arms & armour    8. Small firearms, guns & other equipment    9. Yearbooks, annuals, almanacs   

Reviews (5)

A well-researched rendition of "Stuart's Ride" and the historiography surrounding it!
The critical military campaign that culminated in a battle at the crossroads community of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in July 1863 has spawned much debate and acrimony over the decades.Whose fault was it that the previously hapless Union Army of the Potomac had defeated the best field army in the Southern Confederacy, one that had consistently been victorious in the past?
Plenty of Blame- Stuart's Ride
The other three reviews have said it all. This is the definitve book on this aspect of the Gettysburg Campaign. Stuart remains to me as the premier cavalryman ever produced in North America. For anyone interested in the gettysburg campaign this should be a must volume next to Coddington and Hall. I look forward to the Gettysburg Cavalry Campaign Set in the future. Hats off and congratulations to both authors. Solid research and great writing. Please produce biographies of Buford and Gregg.

The Battle of Gettysburg - The Controversy Lives on in New Book
The publishing company of Savas Beattie continues to enhance their literary portfolio of intelligent, and scholarly researched history books that also are entertaining. The newest entree in their vast library of book offerings takes on the most famous battle of the American Civil War--Gettysburg. Authors Eric J. Wittenberg and J. David Petruzzi have delivered the most definitive book on that controversial battle in their 428 page epic "Plenty Of Blame To Go Around: JEB Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg".
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - General    5. Military - Other    6. United States - Civil War    7. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    8. Civil war    9. History / Military / Other    10. USA    11. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. General    5. History & Theory - General    6. Philosophy    7. Political    8. Political Ideologies - General    9. Political science    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Totalitarianism    12. Biography & Autobiography / General    13. European history: Second World War    14. Germany    15. Political ideologies   

Reviews (4)

Nice book - for what it is supposed to be.
This book (which you are much better off purchasing here on Amazon than at a retail bookstore) achieves exactly what it was designed to be - a coffee table book.Granted, it is a large, impressive, authoritative, glossy coffee table book, and it is NOT - as lamented by some reviewers - designed to be an exhaustive tome covering every historical nuance down to the color of Hap Arnold's socks on a Saturday morning in 1942.Even the Air Force Historical Foundation describes the book as a "coffee table" book.It has more than enough beautiful full-color photos and depictions to keep a recipient happy, but hardcore history buffs, especially those looking for more informal, off-the-record accounts of Air Force development and evolution, will want to look elsewhere.For the rest of us, this book will provide hours of entertainment, for its sheer mass alone.

Great Book for Air Force Buffs
This is a great book for Air Force Buffs. It may not be an exhaustive history but is still a great book. The lavish pictures are great to explore. If you have an interest in "the wild blue yonder" that is based on fact and not fiction, this may be a great choice for you. The book is awesome in appearance also.

Air Force History?Don't think so
I saw this book & quite frankly I agree with one of the major editorial groups that evaluated this publication.I am disappointed by this book's authors who fail to mention a background on all who affected the Air Force then & now. No background was ever given to the career histories of the chiefs of staff & civilian secretaries especially Hap Arnold.To some, these histories are boring, but to others they provide a thorough background for how the Air Force organizes, fights, & wins any type of war that may surface.Lousy book & definitely too bulky with no pertinent information. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Air Force    2. Air Forces    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Military    6. Military - Aviation    7. Military - United States    8. Military Science    9. Pictorial works    10. United States    11. United States.   

Subjects:  1. 1933-1945    2. Europe - Germany    3. Germany    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. History: World    7. Military - World War II    8. Military History - World War II    9. World War II - Europe    10. World War, 1939-1945    11. European history: Second World War    12. History / Germany    13. History, World | European | Germany    14. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000   

Reviews (11)

Eastern front for dummies
Both of my grandparents fought in WWII on the soviet side, so I'm pretty comfortable with the subject. I've read alot of good stuff about Mr. David Glantz from american, german and russian sources(check out battlefield.ru, choose english language option at the top left, awesome site with lots of info on the subject as well as overview of Mr.Glantz books). In any case this effort by Mr.Glantz is not a book and this is surely can't be called an encyclopedia of Eastern front. This is nothing shourt but a Eastern front for dummies. From a man who knows so much on Eastern front and has access to so much information this book is a joke.

Excellent compact guide to Eastern Front
The brilliant work, Slaugterhouse, by David Glantz is a one of its kind to give the Russians their rightful due in the Second World War. As Mr. Glantz points out in the book, had it not been for the Eastern Front where the Russians took most of the thrust of the Wehrmacht, the war most likely taken a different course. This hand book is a useful guide to anyone wishing to understand this very most important theater. It took many nations to team together to defeat Germany, Italy and Japan. The Allied bombings in Western Europe, the sea battles in the pacific and in Asia, the North African Campaign, and the campaigns in Western Europe have been given total credit for the victory. Mr. Glantz corrects for this and shows how the Russians would have defeated the Germans on their own merit. The reader can find readily information of significant battles and commanders. It is a great guide to use while visiting the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow. When I was in Moscow the Russians were impressed with this handy book.

A "Must-Have" for the Eastern Front
Without echoing what others have written, this book is one that will appeal to both the neophytes and the veterans of researching the Eastern Front. It is useful on several levels, and contains a wealth of information that in some cases is newly available in the English language!
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History / Military / World War II    3. Military    4. Military - Pictorial    5. Armed Forces    6. Battles & campaigns    7. Eastern Front    8. European history: Second World War    9. Germany    10. Military - World War II    11. Reference    12. Russia    13. Second World War, 1939-1945    14. Soviet Union    15. Waffen-SS    16. World War, 1939-1945    17. World history: Second World War   

Reviews (22)

The princess can tell a story
Princess Marie Vassiltchikov, a member of some minor branch of the Russian nobility who ended up in Lithuania and then in Germany for World War II, can sure tell a story. Her diary is a good page turner. You always know what is going on.You're always want to find out what is going to happen next. I finished this book in a day or two and took it everywhere I went, because I had to find out what happened.