Reviews (200)

Biased
I read Flags of Our Fathers and enjoyed it more than Flyboys.Bradley has a writing style that is difficult at times as has personal biases come through very clearly.As one other reviewer has written, I found it very odd that he often referred to MG Curtis LeMay as "Curtis."As someone writing about military history, Bradley should have more respect for the uniform and should not call a two star general by his first name like he is talking about one of his golfing buddies.This was very distracting.I also found the first couple of chapters of his history lesson very tedious and unfocused - so much so that I nearly quit reading the book.The latter chapters pick up the pace and are insightful.Bradley also devotes too much time attempting to demonize the American firebombing tactics.Thankfully Bradley's bias and negativity toward the Navy and Army is not as pronounced in Flyboys as in FOOF.This bias is especially odd considering his father was a Navy Corpsman.

Desire to moralize reaches too far
I assume that the author is attempting to show that war creates an environment in which morally degenerate acts become much more likely, if not all but inevitable, on all sides of the conflict.In doing so, however, the author very frequently stretches the blanket of history too far, as when he suggests that the Japanese would have remained forever content to be isolated on their home islands if the American fleet had not paid an uninvited visit to Tokyo Bay in 1853-54 and taught the Japanese the foreign policy advantages of a strong navy.While most historians would agree that the U.S. Navy's visit served the royal court with a wake-up call regarding the existence of a world beyond Japan, that is not the same thing as assuming that without this visit no other internal or external events over the next 70 years would have spurred the Japanese to look beyond their shores and trade an isolationist philosophy for an imperial one.
Fascinating!
I found this to be a fascinating account of the war in the Pacific, and I was impressed with the fact that the author imparts a deep appreciation for America and the sacrifices our soldiers made but can still step back and look objectively at the mistakes on both sides.Does examining our own faults release the other side from responsibility for their crimes, as some other reviewers seem to feel?I don't believe so; I think it's healthy for us to examine our history so we don't make the same mistakes again.It's too bad that some people lump any critique of our own actions into the "pop-revisionist history" category.
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Subjects:  1. Atrocities    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Chichi Island    6. History - Military / War    7. Japan    8. Military    9. Military - Aviation    10. Military - United States    11. Military - World War II    12. Military History - World War II    13. Prisoners Of War    14. Prisoners and prisons, Japanes    15. Prisoners and prisons, Japanese    16. World War, 1939-1945    17. Biography & Autobiography / Military   

Reviews (2)

Enlightens and Entertains
Every once in a long while we delight and surprise ourselves when we pick up a book that enlightens and entertains. It's the pinnacle of excellence reached by but a few non-fiction writers. Miller is one of those writers. His book, the story of the Eighth Air Force, is one of equal parts bravery, terror, and glamour, with some of its men becoming the most celebrated personalities the war. Miller chronicles the heroic feats of Robert Morgan, pilot of the legendary Memphis Belle; of Paul Tibbets, who later would fly the Enola Gay on the A-bomb mission to Hiroshima; of Curtis LeMay, the most celebrated combat leader of the bomber war; and--one of the key figures of the book--of Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal, leader of the Bloody Hundredth, who flew 52 combat missions, was shot down three times, and later became a member of the team of prosecuting attorneys at the Nuremberg Trials.
Disclaimer --Am Still Reading this Book.It's Great!
This is a 521-page account of the Eighth Air Force that I never intended to buy for myself.To me, car repair manuals are usually more interesting than dry WWII books filled with numbers and dates. World War II is truly my father's domain.He has had a 50-year fascination with WWII and could probably teach a college course on the subject.
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Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Biography    3. Bomber pilots    4. Campaigns    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. Military    8. Military - Aviation    9. Military - United States    10. Military - World War II    11. United States    12. Western Front    13. World War, 1939-1945    14. History / Military / World War II   

Reviews (56)

I wanted to like it I really did
The first three chapters have nothing to do with the overall concept, its just some crazy manifest dynasty that's been rehashed time and time again.
Insightful and fair work
Behind the scenes of the hellish fights on Iwo Jima in 1945, another bloodshed was taking place just nearby. The American Air Force planned to fly B-29 strategic bombers from Iwo Jima to Japan, but it faced another peril, Chichi Jima. The island served as critical radar station to detect any enemy aerial activities for the Japanese and held even greater forces than infamous Iwo Jima. This book is a story about the fate of nine Chichi Jima raiders who were shot down, captured, slaughtered, and erased from the history until re-discovered recently.
Flyboys
I had a difficult time with this book. Having ready "Flags of Our Fathers", I had hopes this would be as well written and informitive. However, from early on this book came across as just another piece of "pagan liberal propoganda". The ethnic cleansing of American Indians by the United States was an early warmup of typical pagan propoganda and it headed downhill from there.
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Subjects:  1. Atrocities    2. Biography    3. Chichi Island    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. Japan    7. Military    8. Military - Aviation    9. Military - United States    10. Military - World War II    11. Prisoners Of War    12. Prisoners and prisons, Japanes    13. Prisoners and prisons, Japanese    14. World War II - East Asia    15. World War, 1939-1945    16. Biography & Autobiography / Military   

Reviews (23)

Don't Drink the Koolaid
As a Marine who met John Boyd in the early 1980's, I can attest to the fact that he was clearly brilliant, irrefutably abrasive, and undeniably anti-authoritarian.To his credit, Robert Coram has captured those aspects of his personality well, and his biography reads like an exciting novel.
briliant thinker
Boyd was a genius fighter pilot. He reinvented air-to-air combat tactics in the 1950's, 60's, and 70's. Even today, his ideas on combat seem advanced.

The Fourth Generation Warfare Godfather
While experts on the 2nd Iraq War give credit for the quick victory to SECDEF Rumsfeld's deputies and the Bush Administration, the core foundation to maneuver warfare (and the key to the victory) was provided by the deceased Colonel John Boyd.His concepts of OODA (observe-orient-decide-act) forced the U.S. Military to change their thinking on command and control of armed forces and their interaction on the battlefield and beyond.This book, "The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War", is an outstanding biography of this amazing warrior. From his blue-collar upbringing in Erie, Pennsylvania to his battles in the Pentagon, the Ghetto Colonel help form the AirLand battle strategy of the 1980s (with the advent of the F-15/F-16), and Maneuver Warfare for the 1990s and 2000s (influencing USMC thinkers).
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Military    5. Military - Aviation    6. Military - Strategy    7. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (19)

A gorgeous history of the craft's stormy history
An impressive selection for military specialty collections and aviation holdings is Grumman F-14 Tomcat: Bye-Bye, Baby!,compiled by Dave Parsons, George Hall and Bob Lawson. The dramatic oversized presentation charts a craft which had a terrible time being 'born', evolving during the era of McNamara's 'whiz kids' in the Pentagon who wanted a new fighter for both Air Force and Navy personnel the TFX. The underpowered failure eventually was halted by Tom Connolly and the Tomcat was born. Color images pack a gorgeous history of the craft's stormy history.

Most impressive TOMCAT read in a long time
Not too much to say, other then this is one of the most impressive collections of 200 pages ever.
Grumman Tomcat Images
Excellent pictures and commentary about the F-14 Tomcat from the pilots who flew them and the people who built, tested, and serviced them. Well done! I loved it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - Aviation    5. Military - Naval    6. Air forces & warfare    7. History / Military / Naval    8. Naval forces & warfare    9. USA   

Reviews (2)

The Cold War Sometimes Turned Hot
I recommend this book as a "must read" for anyone interested in Cold War military history and intelligence gathering as well as all former "spooks". Mr. Burrows has written a detailed account of United States Air Force, Navy and CIA airborne electronic and photographic reconnaissance efforts from the end of WWII through the US Navy's P3 incident on Hainan in 2001. The development of specialized aircraft (U-2, SR-71), electronics and camera equipment as well as modification of ordinary aircraft (B-29, B-47, C-130, etc) for reconnaissance missions is covered in sufficient detail to satisfy everyone expect hardcore technical buffs. Very good book
Written very well. It brings out into the open for the first time the people, the missions, and the politics behind a dark chapter in our country's history. The crews were sent into very dangerous situations with limited or no support, and if they survived, they received very little recognition. The crews that did not come back were left to die, and their families were lied to in order to cover up the true circumstances that lead to their lose. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Air warfare    2. Cold War    3. Communist countries    4. Espionage, American    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. History: World    8. Military - Aviation    9. Military - General    10. History / General   

Reviews (11)

The Cold War that cost lives.
At the beginning of this book, it quotes Teller as saying at least the Cold War did not cost any lives.Burrows points out in this book that the Cold War did cost lives.At least 15 planes were shot down, and close to a hundred Air Force and Navy airmen were killed.The U.S. Government hid the fact that many flights were ferreting radar information and bombing sights in case of offensive nuclear war.The Soviets and Chinese did the same thing, even if their propaganda said otherwise.The real losers in this conflict were the families of those airmen who were lost.The government lied to them to cover their activities.
FEET TO THE FIRE!
I remember reading stories of Americans, mainly servicemen, who disappeared behind the Iron Curtain following World War II. To the everlasting shame of every single President from Truman to the current occupant of the White House, we have never demanded a full accounting of their fates, not even from so-called "Democratic" Russia.
Buy it, read it, give a copy to a friend
Bottom Line - This is an excellent book.Buy it, read it, give it to a friend.
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Subjects:  1. Air warfare    2. Cold War    3. Communist countries    4. Espionage, American    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. Military    8. Military - Aviation    9. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    10. Modern - 20th Century/Nuclear Age    11. History / Military / Aviation   

Reviews (9)

Best of the best...
I bought this book new from the Smithsonian Museum bookstore when I was just a kid.Now some 20-odd years later it still sits on the shelf right behind my desk, and I still frequently comb through its pages with the same enthusiasm I had when it was new.I will never let this book out of my possesion.
Must Have for WWII Aviation Enthusiasts
If you enjoy WWII aircraft, and appreciate the breath taking detail and accuracy of Rikyu Watanabe illustrations, you must have this book. I found my copy 3 years ago at OshKosh, and have been offered (...)for it - no way was I parting with it. It is, without question, the finest piece of reference / art work on these 12 aircraft I have ever seen. Vet, IFR Priv. pilot, R/C aircraft modeler.

Incredible!
I'm a WWII airplanes enthsiast, and this book has filled all my expectations.The text, the scaled drawings, the fold-out panels, everithing isexceptional in this complete guide of WWII airplanes. The drawings of this book are incredibly detailed, and if you're meticulous, you'll never find a book like this. My grandfather was a WWII pilot and became nostalgic when he saw the plane he had flown. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Military    2. Military - Aviation    3. Military - World War II    4. Sale Adult - History - Military / War    5. Air forces & warfare    6. Aircraft: general interest    7. Non-Classifiable    8. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Air Transportation    2. Aviation - General    3. History - Military / War    4. Military - Aviation    5. Military Aircraft    6. Military Science    7. Transportation    8. Aircraft: general interest    9. Yearbooks, annuals, almanacs   

Editorial Review

Journalist Mark Bowden delivers a strikingly detailed account of the 1993 nightmare operation in Mogadishu that left 18 American soldiers dead and many more wounded. This early foreign-policy disaster for the Clinton administration led to the resignation of Secretary of Defense Les Aspin and a total troop withdrawal from Somalia. Bowden does not spend much time considering the context; instead he provides a moment-by-moment chronicle of what happened in the air and on the ground. His gritty narrative tells of how Rangers and elite Delta Force troops embarked on a mission to capture a pair of high-ranking deputies to warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid only to find themselves surrounded in a hostile African city. Their high-tech MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters had been shot down and a number of other miscues left them trapped through the night. Bowden describes Mogadishu as a place of Mad Max-like anarchy--implying strongly that there was never any peace for the supposed peacekeepers to keep. He makes full use of the defense bureaucracy's extensive paper trail--which includes official reports, investigations, and even radio transcripts--to describe the combat with great accuracy, right down to the actual dialogue. He supplements this with hundreds of his own interviews, turning Read more

Reviews (655)

A good book
A good book and story that needed to told, the movie can lets you see the action better, but book makes you see the men as heroes.
Impressive
It should come as no news flash that this is a fine piece of journalism.After you've read it, which shouldn't take long, you might think that you blasted out of Mogadishu with Delta Force on the "Day of the Rangers".
Eye-opening book, but a second-rate audio book
Blackhawk Down follows the harrowing story of a two-day battle that took place in the remote town of Mogadishu in October '93.The description of the Americans and the Somali people is detailed and interesting.It is amazing to read how an actual battle took place.The book is full of gore and human suffering, which proved to be a real eye-opener for me.This is probably the most violent book I've ever read (or in my case listened to), but the message is powerful.Out there beyond our country we have soldiers fighting battles we might not even be aware of, but the battles are important nonetheless.Lives are important and we have soldiers risking theirs that we may live ours.My respect for the military went up several notches after experiencing this book.
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Subjects:  1. 1934-    2. Africa - General    3. Aidid, Mohammed Farah,    4. Army.    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. Military    8. Military - Other    9. Military - Strategy    10. Military - United States    11. Modern - 20th Century    12. Operation Restore Hope, 1992-1993    13. Task Force Ranger    14. United States.    15. Africa    16. Air forces & warfare    17. History / Military / General    18. World history   

Reviews (11)

So many errors!!
There are so many errors in this book.Its shameful.If you're a beginner trying to get an understanding of aircraft maneuvers based on gauges, dont bother with this one.It'll have you scratching your head!

Military Flight Aptitude Tests (CliffsTestPrep)
I would definitely recommend this book rather than the Officer Candidate Tests book.There's much more material covered and it gives a more basic overview of what is needed than the OCT book.The OCT book gives a more technical mechanics review that is not needed and doesn't even provide half of what's covered on the AFOQT.
AWEFULL editing
I can't believe the poor job of technical editing in this book.I am a pilot and all of the Flight errors in this book will confuse you if you don't already know how to fly ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Air pilots, Military    2. Armed Forces    3. Aviation    4. Civil Service    5. Cliff's/ Monarch / Barron's Book Notes    6. Officers    7. Study Aids    8. Test Prep    9. Tests    10. Training of    11. United States    12. Air forces & warfare    13. Aviation skills / piloting    14. Study Aids / Armed Forces   

Reviews (1)

One of the best WWII books I've read
I picked this book up on a whim and was unable to put it down. James Bradley's book is graphic at times, but enlightening. I found myself extremely curious as to what happened to members of my own family who fought in the Pacific. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Atrocities    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Chichi Island    7. History - Military / War    8. Japan    9. Military    10. Military - Aviation    11. Military - United States    12. Military - World War II    13. Prisoners Of War    14. Prisoners and prisons, Japanese    15. World War II - East Asia    16. World War, 1939-1945    17. Biography & Autobiography / Military   

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. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - Aviation    5. Military - World War II    6. Aircraft: general interest    7. History / Military / World War II    8. History of specific subjects    9. Weapons & equipment   

Reviews (12)

Trailing the Vanguard
I obtained a copy of this book to aid my understanding of the common soldiers' actions and thoughts while touring these battlefields.I found it to be a valuable tool in tracing the actions of the past.Bando has done a credible job in collecting and providing context to the wealth of information gleaned from the veterans and collected in this volume.Richly illustrated, it is deserving of a spot on any WWII buffs bookshelf.Aberjona Press is to be congratulated on providing this updated version based on Mark Bando's earlier works.

Honor to the Eagle
Mark Bando has done an outstanding piece of work in his "Vanguard of the Crusade: The 101st Airborne Division in WWII."
THE Encyclopedia of the 101st. Airborne Division in WWII
Vanguard is the most comprehensively researched work between two covers of the Screaming Eagles in WWII, from (A)ddeville to (Z)ell am See. It's the perfect mix between a scholarly presentation of the facts, and human interest war stories as told through the words of the men who were in the "dress rehearsal" for the Hollywood productions. Bando is not a cheerleader, so don't expect a spin on the facts. He's a retired policeman, an investigator/researcher and a reporter of events. He often leaves the answers to questions of right or wrong to the reader. You get the report of what happened as seen through the eyes of the men who pulled the triggers and lived through experiences that many of them still think about daily.
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Subjects:  1. Air forces & warfare    2. Airborne Division, 101st    3. American history: Second World War    4. Army    5. History    6. History / Military / World War II    7. Military    8. Military - World War II    9. Regimental histories    10. Second World War, 1939-1945    11. USA    12. United States - 20th Century    13. Europe    14. European history: Second World War   

Reviews (1)

On Being An Air Force Officer
I'll sheepishly admit that I'm not one for dry guidebooks, history texts and the like; they usually put me to sleep. However, I found the "Air Force Officer's Guide" fascinating. The book starts right off with issues of conduct, leadership, and responsibility, beautifully setting the tone for the rest of the material. This is almost certainly idealized to a certain extent, but that's rather the point, I think--this is meant as a guide of behavior to be aspired to.
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Subjects:  1. Handbooks & Manuals    2. History - Military / War    3. Military - Aviation    4. Military Science    5. Reference    6. Air forces & warfare    7. Military life & institutions    8. USA   

Reviews (8)

A lost spirit

An Inquiry into the Culture of Leadership
First off, this is a great book and I agree with the other reviewers that it is a great read.Yes, it does follow the Yale flyers from crew races in Connecticut to the skies over the English Channel and Belgium in World War I.And yes, there are great descriptions of courage, heroism and loss.But to me there are two things that set this book apart.One, Wortman is a great writer.It is the mark of any really good book of history when the author can put you there, in a wholly different time and place, and make you feel that you know it, know the people and know the mores of the period.Wortman does this well, even down to getting the slang of the young Yalies.One cannot soon forget the importance of having "sand" or the feeling of flying over the trenches in Flanders on a cold dawn patrol.With due deference to Charles Schulz and Snoopy, there was a bit more to it than climbing onto the roof of your doghouse.And two, by opening up to us the world of the early nineteen hundreds, Wortman illuminates how these privileged young men, and the entire society of which they were a part, understood the responsibilities of leadership.For better or worse than the culture of our own time, and without any romanticism a la Snoopy and the Red Baron, many of these very rich young men felt the personal responsibility to take part and to lead -- and to do it from the forward and dangerous position.One cannot read this book without clearly contrasting the Yale flyers' attitudes and actions from those of many of today's most important political leaders in their formative years.Again, without having to surrender to any of the Band of Brothers romanticism, "The Millionaire's Unit" reminds us that our present day's attitudes towards leadership are not the only ones that Americans have always held.

One of those 'must read' books!
A remarkable story! In 1916 a group of extraordinary Yale class leaders, who happened also to be millionaire athletes, organized an aviation unit.These were heroic, very patriotic young men.Wortman makes you feel as if you're in the air flying with them. It's a great read. Don't miss it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Military - World War I    2. History - Military / War    3. World War I    4. Military - Aviation    5. Europe    6. European history: First World War    7. First World War, 1914-1918    8. USA    9. Air Forces    10. History    11. Military   

Reviews (20)

I Felt I Was There
Again I'm embarassed to think that I didn't know about these guys until now.What a story!The courage and daring they had is unbelievable, especially after losing some of their own. I can only say "thank you" to the guys who flew these missions, and thanks to Mr. Shepard and Newman for telling us their story.

A great book about some truly great Americans
If anyone had told me that this book would be as interesting as it turned out to be, I wouldn't have believed it.After all, the Vietnam War was something of a low point in American history, what with its poor political leadership, its anti-war demonstrators, too many brave men killed, a disappointing ending, and still more brave men scorned.This is not something most Americans, particularly conservatives, would look forward to reading about.But this book surprised me. Well written...Excellent book
Provides a wide variety of personal perspectives on the conflict that are often lost in other historical books.Very engaging; well worth reading! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aerial Operations    2. Aerial observation (Military science)    3. Aerial operations, American    4. Air pilots, Military    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. Military    8. Military - Aviation    9. Military - United States    10. Military - Vietnam War    11. Military History - Vietnam Conflict    12. United States    13. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    14. Air forces & warfare    15. American history: Vietnam War    16. Asian history: Vietnam War    17. History / Military / General    18. USA    19. Vietnam   

Reviews (4)

Biger and at One Third the Price is Pretty Convincing
Sub-Title: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems (Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World) ==There are only two books like this published in the world, so it is inevitable that they have to be compared. Jane's Fighting Ships is now in its 107th edition. The Naval Institute's Guide to Combat Fleets has been published every couple of years since 1977. In any case that's enough for both of them to have become established and to have developed a solid background/format/procedure for gathering the information about ships and for publishing it in as accurate a maner as possible. They are both excellent works. Neither is perfect, because some information is difficult to get (The Naval Institute book says: "Data for North Korea are only marginally reliable."), and there is a time lag between freezing the writing and the delivery of the finished product. ==So what is left to compare. They are both huge books, 7+ pounds of paper. The Naval Institute book has about 150 more pages than Janes, and it is about one third the price. Yes, one third of the price, not one third less. ==This book has 1104 pages, 4450 photographs. I also find it easier to read, easier to find what I need to know.

Almost perfect alternative to Jane's Fighting Ships
I bought this book because the price of Jane's Fighting Ships is simply impossible for me and many defence workers. I was very satisfied with this alternative and happy to know that there's an alternative to Jane's at a much cheaper price.
"AYear of Compromise"
This is the title of Eric Wertheims 2005 World Navies in review article found in USNI's Proceedings Magazine.
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - Aviation    5. Military - Naval    6. Military - Other    7. Navies    8. Warships    9. Naval forces & warfare    10. Shipbuilding technology & engineering   

Reviews (3)

Radial engine lover's dream
I have been facinated with the R-4360 since I built a B-36 model while in grade school.I did get to see and hear one C-124 depart Lajes AB, Azores while in the USAF. What a sound!
Graham White does it again!
After enjoying Graham White's prodigious tome on the P&W R-2800