Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Military    5. Military - Aviation    6. Military - General    7. Military - World War II    8. Models    9. Air forces & warfare    10. History / Military / General    11. Model aircraft   

Reviews (12)

Convair B-36: A Comprehensive History
Good reference on the B-36 Peacemaker. Well illustrated with black and white as well as color photographs. Many cut away drawings and diagrams. Lots of background development. Good historical as well as technical information. Lacking in material on the FICON and Parasites fighter programs

Impossibe to fault this book
It is silly to try to fault this book.
A Big Book for the Big Stick
Since I was a child, I have been fascinated by Convair's B-36 Peacemaker, one of the premier aircraft of the Cold War. A Six-Engined monster, it was the first intercontinental bomber, being the only plane that could fly from allied bases to targets in Russia and back without refueling. While some books have been written about the plane, it can be said that Jacobsen has written the definitive account. Read more

Subjects:  1. B-36 bomber    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Military    5. Military - Aviation    6. Military - General    7. Military Science    8. Air forces & warfare    9. Aircraft: general interest    10. Military vehicles    11. USA   

Reviews (2)

Great Book About America's favorite Aviators - The Blue Angels!
Nicholas Veronico has produced a marvelous collection of photos, history, stories and reference data on America's most popular aviation group in his coffee table sized book "The Blue Angels - A Fly-By History: Sixty Years Of Aerial Excellence."It is sure to please all Blue Angel fans world wide. There is so much more to his book than some cold history about the group. This book gives you both the men and their flying machines in a perfect and balanced presentation.
Great pictoral history, but......
otherwise somewhat limited in scope. Chronological history of the Blue Angel squadron. It won't end up being used as a reference for BA history, but it gives a good overview for the casual BA enthusiast. Pictures are great, and otherwise rare. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - Aviation    5. Military - Naval    6. Military - United States    7. Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron    8. United States.    9. Aircraft: general interest    10. History / Military / Naval    11. Stunt flying    12. USA   

Reviews (2)

Military art at its finest
This is an excellent example of military artwork at its best.Gives the reader an excellent background on the thought process behind each of Trudgian's masterpieces.I own 11 separate prints of his and this book is a welcome addition to my Trudgian collection.Highly recommend this book to any WW2 historian or fan.

beautiful book, gorgeous paintings bya talented artist
A great book with lots of info about the paintings and comments from the artist about theway he develloped the pictures ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Individual Artist    4. Individual Painters - Contemporary    5. Military - Aviation    6. Painting - Other Specific Subjects    7. Painting Of Specific Subjects    8. Techniques - Painting   

Reviews (16)

Outstanding Book
James McDonough provides an in-depth look at infantry platoon operations in Vietnam. This is a must read for anyone who intends to pursue a military career. The book is very graphic, but also very succint and to the point. McDonough doesn't waste time with superfluous details, every word is well chosen and critical to the telling of the story. Once you begin reading, you will not want to stop. It is a quick read, and well worth the time it takes.

A gripping Vietman narrative
"Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat," by James R. McDonough, chronicles the author's experiences as an officer in the Vietnam War from 1970-71.His platoon is charged with manning an outpost next to the village of Truong Lam.
A very different kind of war story.
Lieutenant Colonel James McDonough has written a truly different memoir of his experiences in Vietnam. I believe that this is because McDonough is a different type of leader and individual. His account of his personal experience in Vietnam is not glorified or gory, it is a more emotional recollection of the things that he did, good and bad, while serving as platoon leader in Vietnam. This book is a must for young military officers as well as those considering military service. There is no bravado in this book, because there is nothing fantastic about killing another man, or trying to help civilians who have been needlessly attacked. The book has a very real quality to it, which I found at different times both unsettling and moving. McDonough is not a killer, he is a soldier and an officer. While he may often silently question the purpose of the things he did or was ordered to do in Vietnam, he never hesitated in carrying out his responsibilities as platoon leader. Although he may have been afraid, he was still responsible for 25 other men who were even more afraid than he was. Overall, one of the best memoirs I have ever read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Military    5. Personal Memoirs    6. Air forces & warfare    7. Asian history: Vietnam War    8. Biography & Autobiography / Military    9. Vietnam   

Reviews (13)

Heavy dose of Monty bashing
This is Burgett's personal account in Operation Market Garden. A good read if you enjoy first-person accounts sprinkled with liberal dose of humor.

Trapped 72 days behind enemy lines
This is the second book in a set of 4 books by the author, the books start with his training as a paratrooper in WWII, and follow his time in the war until he gets discharged after the war. The books in chronological order are 1)Currahee! 2) The Road to Arnhem 3) Seven Roads to Hell 4) Beyond the Rhime. A very good WWII book.
I liked this a lot. If you read Curahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy, then this is a must read (although Curahee is undeniably better). My only problem was that it got a little dull at parts. I really respect the writer for his actions, though, because he shows natural courage and ability to fight, not just under orders, but where he sees a job needs to be done. This really helped me enjoy the book a lot more, because he is a great person. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - Aviation    5. Military - General    6. Military - United States    7. Military - World War II    8. History / Military / General   

Reviews (3)

Pixilated
Probably the most thorough treatment of projected German aircraft, Myhra's book also suffers from inexplicable lapses: pictures are duplicated, line drawings are pixilated, and illustrations often so jumbled that one does not always know which plane is being described. The use of models and digital imaging is appreciated, but there is so little editorial control over layout that any benefit is lost. A great muddle of a book that even includes a photograph of a Messerschmitt sewing machine. If only it had been better edited.

Secret Aircraft Designs of the Third Reich
David Myhra gives the reader an unsurpassed look at the technological brilliance of the Third Reich. History buffs and aviation enthusiasts alike will be astounded by the rare photographs included in the book as well as stories behind the designs, which sometimes surpass the wildest fiction one could imagine. The most complete book on Nazi X Planes(especially in terms of visual content)"Secret Designs" makes you feel glad that Hitler and Goering made so many crucial mistakes that prevented many of these planes from ever becoming airborn and wringing havoc with the less advanced American designs of WWII.

Very Good, but could be improved
Myhra has produced an excellent summary of German advanced aircraft designs during the "Third Reich". What sets this work apart from similar offerings by Masters and Schlick and Meyer is the coverage given tothe designers of the aircraft and the companies which built them coupledwith the use of colour photographs of scale models. On the down side, thebook could have done with more proof reading to remove some of therepetition in the text and numerous minor typo's. It was also let down bysome very poor quality illustrations, some of the line art looks like itwas drawn using a ZX Spectrum home computer from the early '80�s. Ingeneral the illustrations are poorly organised and of greatly variablequality. I would hope that a second edition would correct these minorflaws, a tie up with Dan Johnson's excellent web site, Luft 46 would allow the illustrationsto be greatly improved. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Airplanes, Military    2. Design and construction    3. Equipment and supplies    4. Germany    5. History    6. Military    7. Military - Aviation    8. Military Science    9. Prototypes    10. Research    11. Technology & Industrial Arts    12. World War, 1939-1945    13. Air forces & warfare    14. European history: Second World War    15. Military vehicles   

Reviews (9)

What a great book!
Wow this was a really great book.This is the first novel I've read about the role of a paratrooper in war, and I'm glad i chose this book to be the first.Edward Murphy kept me hooked the whole way from start to finish.I couldn't ask for a better Vietnam war novel.Great book.I highly recommend this to anyone who likes to read war novels.

This was a fantastic book
This true account of the 173rd in the central highlands of Vietnam kept me turning the pages. It is a must read for all who appreciate the sacrifices of our brave American soldiers.

Heroes all
This book was fabulous, my brother was the FNG written about.It was the first I ever knew about his experiences in Vietnam and I knew he was wonderful, but I never imagined the experience he and the other soldiers had.For whatever reason, he never discussed his tour with us and after reading this book I know why.It is just so much to bear for so many, so young.They really were heroes.A must read for anyone interested in the Vietnam war. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. History - Military / War    3. History: American    4. Military - Vietnam War    5. Military History - Vietnam Conflict    6. History / General   

Reviews (2)

Good, but there are flaws
The Rise of American Airpower by Michael Sherry represents the new breed of military history.This book is about the physical, organizational and technological advances which affected the United States armed forces in peace and in war.It is not a record of the battles and campaigns of World War Two. This is a cultural history which seeks to explain the rise of strategic air war.Sherry set before himself the massive task of understanding how humans could delude themselves to the point where they could seriously consider the horrors of conventional mass bombardment and later nuclear warfare as an abstract idea. The First Book To Seriously Examine Air Warfare
Michael Sherry is the first author to seriously examine strategic air warfare and how it is influenced by politics, military tactics, the formulation of a coherent air strategy, popular culture, morality, racism, and the media to name just a few factors. Sherry describes how the U.S. Air Force never formulated an effective air strategy to compel the unconditional surrender of its enemies during World War II. The primary reason cited by Sherry was the false perception of air power being able to completely overwhelm its enemies through the Douhet concept of bombers striking a decisive blow, thereby forcing a countries enemies to capitulate. This resulted in the formulation of U.S. air strategy to become stagnate. This book should be required reading for military pilots and aviators attending the Air War College at Maxwell AFB. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History - Military / War    2. History: American    3. Military - Aviation    4. Military Science    5. Air forces & warfare    6. Technology / Military Science    7. USA   

Reviews (8)

Tom Yarborough, I salute you
If you need or want to know about bravery and courage under
There duringit all
I am the Air Force Nurse that flew with Tom-I can personally say-he is one heck of a pilot-and was totally focused on the job at hand-the book allowed me to read -in detail- about the missions I only vaguely knew about then-the flying- the hanging it all out-these were people I would see daily but their 'jobs' went unspoken of-Thank you Tom for the ride-If you want truth- read his book-Sherdeane Kinney

Good read
Agree with the analysis of this book and also of "A Lonley Kind of War" but the trilogy is not complete without Mike Jackson's Naked In Da Nang. Naked is a great complement to these two, offering a slightly more personalized and funny perspective. All three books give you tremendous respect for these guys and you start to understand what a disservice the media did to our boys by portraying them as drugged out losers. Nothing could have been further from the truth. These guys were and are heroes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aerial operations    2. Aerial operations, American    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. History    5. Military    6. Military - Vietnam War    7. Personal narratives, American    8. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    9. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    10. Air forces & warfare    11. Asian history: Vietnam War    12. Biography: general    13. USA    14. Vietnam   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - Aviation    5. History / Military / Aviation   

Reviews (11)

A good read but somewhat disappointing
I was well aware of Jimmy Stewart's military record when I set out to read this book.I was, however, anxious to learn a bit more about Stewart's combat exploits during World War II.In that regard, this book was somewhat disappointing.Rather than let us get inside Stewart's heart and mind and sense what he experienced, it appears to chronicle Stewart's time in service, letting us know where, when, and in what capacities he served; what a great guy he was, how dedicated and successful he was, and when and to what ranks he was promoted; and, in general, what many of those who served with him thought of him, but it never gets down to the nitty-gritty of what he actually did at a personal level.The reader, it would seem, is always looking from the outside in.
Humility comes before Honor-Stewart had both
Smith does a nice job recounting the days the Jimmy Stewart spent in the military during WWII. I found it very detailed oriented and less filled with anecdotes than I would have thought all these years removed from WWII. I knew a bit about Stewart's involvement in the Army Air Corps, which became the Air Force, but this book really filled in the details of his time during the war. Guys like Jimmy Stewart are a far cry from the phonies like Alec Baldwin who threaten to go back to Canada but wind up sticking around the USA to sap of of our money with second rate films.
Great book!
This is a very well written book about a true American hero.Jimmy Stewart has long been a great hero and idol to me.This is an awesome account of one of the worlds most awesome people.I highly recommend this not only for Jimmy Stewart fans, but for everyone.But anyone who reads this will be a Jimmy Stewart fan! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1908-    2. Aerial operations, American    3. Air Force, 8th    4. Army Air Forces    5. Biography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Bomber pilots    8. Campaigns    9. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    10. History    11. History - Military / War    12. Military    13. Military - World War II    14. Stewart, James,    15. United States    16. Western Front    17. World War, 1939-1945    18. Air forces & warfare    19. American history: Second World War    20. Biography: film, television & music    21. Films, cinema    22. History / Military / World War II    23. Second World War, 1939-1945    24. The Americas   

Reviews (17)

Enthralling
An excellent book.Even as an English major, I very rarely have found myself so unwilling to put down a book.An unexpected surprise was that Hirsh encompassed the entire rescue team, writing not only of the PJs, but also of the pilots, crew, combat controllers, and commanders.If you have little interest or experience with the military, you may find the technical aspects a bit heavy at times, but I personally had no difficulty; truly, I appreciated the detail and immersion in the subject matter.Thrilling.Enthralling.Delightful.

Thank you Michael Hirsh
I found Michael Hirsh's writing style very entertaining.You, the reader, must realize the rare privilege it is to have before you an account so accurate in factual detail of what embodies a USAF pararescueman.Having the honor of being a PJ from Sep84-Dec92 I have witnessed alot so life doesn't suprise me much anymore.The effect this book had on me was suprising.Many times while reading this book I paused to shake off cold shivers or to loosen my white-knuckle grip for I felt I was right there among these supermen doing the almost impossible...living life as a PJ!One thing I did not like was the lack of respect Michael Hirsh showed toward the special operations people from the other military branches.I have had the privilege and honor to work with many fine spec op folks from the other branches of our military.Even though there is the traditional and expected "ribbing" that goes on between us highly-trained experts I have forged lasting friendships with many of these spec op guys.Michael Hirsh, you wrote a great book about pararescuemen. You even made us PJ's feel uneasy (which is hard to do) by giving us a pat on the back for doing our jobs albeit appreciated.In your writing please do not convey the false idea that PJ's are so much better than all other special operations people.Special operations/forces of the navy, army, marines and air force all have outstanding people expertly trained for a specific purpose.However, I will state that when your day has gone bad putting your money on a PJ is a better bet than on one of them SEALs.

Not such a great book about great individuals
I found Hirsh's writing style choppy and at times the transitions between chapters and topics were confusing. Overall None Braver was a poor presentation of material that could have been informative and entertaining--which it was only slightly of both. I recommend you read something else on PJs. They deserve better. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Afghan War, 2001-    2. Afghanistan    3. Air Force    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. Military    7. Military - Aviation    8. Military - United States    9. Military history    10. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    11. Search and rescue operations    12. United States    13. War on Terrorism, 2001-    14. History / Military / Other   

Subjects:  1. Aerial Operations    2. Aerial operations, British    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Campaigns    6. France    7. History - Military / War    8. Military    9. Military - General    10. Military - World War II    11. Military Personal Narratives    12. Personal narratives, British    13. World War, 1939-1945    14. Air forces & warfare    15. Biography: general    16. British & Irish history: Second World War    17. Europe    18. European history: Second World War    19. Richey, Paul Henry Mills    20. Second World War, 1939-1945    21. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (1)

Should have been Beauty
For the aviation enthusiast the end of the Cold War was a time of mixed emotions, OK, the west had won, less threat of nuclear war, but so many neat projects died, planes scrapped etc. On the other hand we were suddenly able to find a lot more about those exotic shapes from behind the curtain. Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - Aviation    5. Aircraft: general interest    6. Former Soviet Union, USSR (Europe)    7. History / Military / Aviation    8. Military vehicles    9. Russia   

Reviews (10)

Excellent Detail of Fighter Operations
The author does a fantastic job of providing the day-to-day operations of carrier fighter aircraft from just before the beginning of the war. He includes such topics as production quantities, training and individual aircraft models performance stats. I was unaware that the Lexington still operated Brewster Buffaloes well into January 1942 until I read this book. Also surprising that was the Hornet's air group comprised many biplane aircraft when she was comissioned.
Accurate, Well Written, A Pleasure to Read
'The First Team' was the group of Navy fighter pilots serving with the Pacific carriers at the beginning of the war. In addition, this book might be called something like 'The First Team.' It is the definitive work on the subject.
Lundstrom's scholarship is first rate
I can't believe that I'm the first one to review this book because it's been out for awhile.If you look at the various lists of WWII books that have been posted, it's frequently mentioned.The First Team is the name that author Lundstrom gives to the naval pilots that were in service at the start of the Pacific war.For the most part, these pilots fought all the battles through the Guadalcanal campain Aug-Nov 1942.The pre-war pilots were skilled and experienced and usually knew each other.
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Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Campaigns    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Military    6. Military - Aviation    7. Military - Naval    8. Military - World War II    9. Naval operations, American    10. Pacific Ocean    11. World War, 1939-1945    12. Air forces & warfare    13. Second World War, 1939-1945    14. USA    15. World history: Second World War   

Subjects:  1. Air warfare    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Military    5. Military - Aviation    6. Military - Naval    7. Military - United States    8. Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (U.S.)    9. Navy    10. Study and teaching    11. Tactical aviation    12. United States    13. United States.    14. History / Military / Naval   

Reviews (2)

Great cutaways, covers many obscure British aircraft
This book contains a collection of aircraft cutaways which were published in several British aviation journals during World War II. The book offers a unique perspective because unlike most modern reproductions, the cutaways were drawn from real aircraft by artists visiting the factories. Some details on the cutaways have been omitted for contemporary security reasons.
History on two fronts
This is a history of both classic aircraftof WW2, and the development of the cutaway artform early years. Text includes both original extracts from the magazines "Flight" (for whom he later worked) and "The Aeroplane" from the war years, as well as commentary by Bill Gunston from a position of hindsight. Information on the artists as well. Like all Gunston's books, a sardonic strain of humour is evident, as well as some personal memories. It leaves me wishing for a similar effort covering early post war aircraft. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History - Military / War    2. History: World    3. Military - Aviation    4. Military - General    5. Military Aircraft - World War II    6. Military Aircraft Design And Construction    7. Military Science    8. Aircraft: general interest    9. History / Military / Aviation    10. History of engineering & technology    11. Military vehicles    12. Second World War, 1939-1945   

Reviews (2)

A Great Historical Record of the 4FG
I too have been studying the Fourth Fighter Group for almost 20 years, it all started when I accidentally picked up a copy of 'Death Squadron' by Grover Hall at Moron Air Base in Spain in the early 80's.It looked like a ficticious WWII novel due to the hockey title, but when I started flipping through it (I was really desperate for something to read), I realized there were pictures and that this was actually a historical work!Twenty years on, I still enjoy reading it, although it is barely held together by tape and the pages are yellow and crumbling.It is for this reason that I bought Frank Speer's 'The Debden Warbirds.' Don't be put off by the cover artwork!! This is a fine book.
I have been a student of the 4th Fighter Group for some 30 years now and I thought that I had read just about all there was to read on the subject, but Frank Speer has come up with a winner and is to be congratulated on hisunique approach to the subject. It's nice to hear someone reaffirm thatthere were more than half a dozen fighter pilots in the Fourth FighterGroup. What a splendid book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Army Air Forces    3. Army Air Forces.    4. Fighter Group, 4th    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. Military    8. Military - World War II    9. Personal narratives, American    10. United States    11. United States.    12. World War, 1939-1945    13. Air forces & warfare    14. Europe    15. European history: Second World War    16. World history: Second World War   

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. General    4. History - General    5. History - Military / War    6. Military    7. Military - Aviation