Reviews (6)

Makers of Modern Strategy
"Makers of Modern Strategy" is a scholarly collection of high quality papers on strategy since Machiavelli to the present nuclear age. The beauty of the book is that one can focus on the era that one is interested in. There is no need to read the book cover to cover as the various essays are stand alone although they are presented sequentially and related papers are adjacent to each other. I have read and re-read some of the papers. The book is about strategy and the realities of war. The essays are clearly balanced and not biased. The phenomenon of war was clearly explained from the studies of past wars. It is clear that war has been a fundamental reality of social and political existence from an early stage of political organisation to the present times. The tragic aspects of war and the intellectual and emotional disturbances it creates could be discerned from the essays.
Mandatory Reading for Army Staff Majors
As the title indicates, the Army's Command & General Staff College requires students to read Makers of Modern Strategy in the core history class.Professors can make best use of this book as a supplement.As other reviewers have noted, the chapters are disjointed with each other.Taken separately, however, many of the chapters help the history student or enthusiast to develop a depth of understanding on a particular subject.Authors such as John Shy, Douglas Porch, Michael Howard, and Condoleeza Rice, just to name a few, explore many of the strategic issues involved with the evolution of military thought. Good general military history overview.
One of the essentials, a good starting point for the study of military history and strategy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - Strategy    5. Military Science    6. Military art and science    7. Military history    8. Military history, Modern    9. Strategy    10. World - General    11. Defence strategy, planning & research    12. European History    13. History / Military / Strategy    14. Political Science and International Relations    15. World History/Comparative History   

Subjects:  1. 1945-    2. Cold War    3. Foreign relations    4. History - Military / War    5. International Relations - General    6. Military - Nuclear Warfare    7. Nuclear Energy    8. Political Science    9. Politics/International Relations    10. United States    11. World politics    12. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    13. Europe    14. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    15. Former Soviet Union, USSR (Europe)    16. History / General    17. History, World | Modern    18. International relations    19. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    20. USA    21. War & defence operations   

Reviews (18)

Very interesting read
Having read another book about a German sniper which proved to be absolutely fictional I was curious about this release. I have a huge collection of WWII memories and am happy about any books covering the German side. The story told is much different from too many "heroic" stories of the good G.I.s bragging about killing tons of bad "Krauts" - and we know what true WWII veterans say about people that tell about their "kills" (usually these people haven't seen any action at all). In fact, it is shocking to see how some readers/authors still consider all the German soldiers to be nazis and considering Soviet atrocities to be merely German propaganda. For these people this book will come as a revelation and a gripping account of a WWII veteran who can tell a gripping story without having to mention the most gruesome details of what an enemy looked like when he was shot.

Waste of time and money
There is surprisingly not much of sniping in the memoirs.
Great read
Sniper on the Eastern Front is one of the most astonishing World War II books I have read so far. This is a must read for any World War II freak. Sepp Allerberger is reliving his vivid memories in great detail throughout this book. It is fascinating to experience the life of a German sniper during World War II. We are so used to reading about the invasion of Normandy and the allied forces demolishing the German Wehrmacht, that we don't consider the other side of the story. This book manifests the struggle for survival and retreat of Sepp Allerberger's unit on the eastern front. Once you pick this book up you can't put it down. Great read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - World War II    5. Military Science    6. Former Soviet Union, USSR (Europe)    7. History / Military / World War II    8. Land forces & warfare    9. Second World War, 1939-1945    10. True stories: Second World War   

Editorial Review

On December 9, 1979, smallpox, the most deadly human virus, ceased to exist in nature. After eradication, it was confined to freezers located in just two places on earth: the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta and the Maximum Containment Laboratory in Siberia. But these final samples were not destroyed at that time, and now secret stockpiles of smallpox surely exist. For example, since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the subsequent end of its biological weapons program, a sizeable amount of the former Soviet Union's smallpox stockpile remains unaccounted for, leading to fears that the virus has fallen into the hands of nations or terrorist groups willing to use it as a weapon. Scarier yet, some may even be trying to develop a strain that is resistant to vaccines. This disturbing reality is the focus of this fascinating, terrifying, and important book.Read more

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Reviews (105)

Smallpox, Big Issue
Few writers have the talent to parlay a non-fiction work about viruses into a mass-market paperback, but Richard Preston has done it twice."The Demon in the Freezer" focuses on many scary aspects of smallpox, and delights in the details of our demise should we encounter our old foe.For us today, reading about the skin completely separating from the body due to a halo of pus is both repulsive and fascinating; but the world once had an everyday vocabulary for these symptoms.With little natural immunity left around the globe and the smallpox shot the most dangerous immunization you can take, "The Demon in the Freezer" points to a nasty vulnerability.
Just awful!
I was so excited to find this book after reading Richard Preston's other novel, The Hot Zone. I found this book to be written extremely inconsistently. While reading this book it seems as though Preston is changing from writing to a mature, educated audience to writing for an audience of five year-olds. He takes the time out to describe each new character in a bland way. His descriptions of these people consist solely of their hair and eye colors, stature, and way of speaking. WE DON'T CARE! I wish he had spent more time on the actual story instead of digressing. He also added random sections including one accusing Iraq of harboring weapons grade smallpox without proof. I was thoroughly disappointed in this novel! The only reason why I finished it was because I was too far into it to stop when I realized how much I truly hated it! If you liked The Hot Zone, don't read this, it's awful.

Truth CAN be scarier than fiction
In his frighting followup to his bestselling effort The Hot Zone, Richard Preston writes a chilling and honest examination of the history and the efforts to eradicate the smallpox virus.What makes this book work is the authors unflinching portrayal of the effects of the smallpox virus, it's resiliancy and the possible consequences of what could happen in the future if we are not careful or if the virus could fall into the wrong hands. Although not quite as chilling as The Hot Zone this is still a very effective bio-terror thriller. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bioterrorism    2. Chemical And Biological Warfare    3. Infectious Diseases    4. Life Sciences - Biochemistry    5. Life Sciences - Biology - Microbiology    6. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    7. Popular works    8. Prevention    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Smallpox    12. Terrorism    13. Science / Biochemistry    14. Bargain   

Editorial Review

Bill Gertz, who covers national security for the Read more

Reviews (113)

Lackluster but marginally revealing...
This is a Washington Times correspondant's look at Clinton Administration boon-doggles from overtures to the Red Chinese to foolish nuclear aid programs to North Korea. Succinctly stated Gertz indicts the former Clinton administration for it's blind eyeon vital national security issues. Though, at times it seems trifling and it seems Gertz is fishing for intrigue. Since the highlight of the book is a spying Russian naval vessel blinding an American with a laser, I was kind of bored. But I still found some of the content redeeming.

Pretty Pernicious stuff
I am beginning to hate to read these books about President Clinton because it seems that everything he did as the President was to line his pockets. Accurate portrayal of a moral relativist former President.
Bill Gertz is probably the foremost authority in the United States on American-Chinese relations. During the Clinton years Gertz kept America informed, through his brilliant articles in The Washington Times, regarding the Administration's ill-advised "policy of engagement" with China, a policy which, at the end of Clinton's eight years in office, had served to permit China to aid rogue nations in the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and to improve its arsenal of ICBMs, many of which were aimed at us, while aiding Mr. Clinton's Hollywood contributors and several unscrupulous high-tech corporations as they developed markets in China for their products.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1946-    2. 1993-2001    3. 20th century    4. Clinton, Bill,    5. Foreign relations    6. General    7. Government - U.S. Government    8. History    9. International Relations - General    10. National Security Issues    11. National security    12. Political Science    13. Politics / Current Events    14. Politics/International Relations    15. U.S. Foreign Relations    16. United States    17. Arms negotiation & control    18. Central government policies    19. Clinton, Bill    20. Political Science / General    21. USA   

Subjects:  1. Military Science    2. Science/Mathematics    3. Technology    4. Theory of warfare & military science   

Reviews (16)

great
Item came on time and as promised.Could not ask for a better delivery situation.

Most USEFUL leadership book. Bar-none.
I have read dozens of leadership books over the years including many from both business and military perspectives. This is bar-none the best. I currently have four managers, about thirty staff and multiple projects I am responsible for and this is the book that I repeately reach for because it is a "how to" book. I reach for it to solve problems and I reach for it to teach my staff and managers "how to".
An Interesting Book on Leadership
This book was written for officers in the United States Army.It gives officers an idea of how to manage and develop the soldiers under them.Particularly it gives good advice on how to recognize and deal with certain types of soldiers based on a skill, will, and teamwork scale.To tell the truth, I'm not in the army, but I bought this book to gain some insight into the army's way of managing and developing soldiers.I believe that if you are a businessperson or a teacher, you can learn a lot about how to treat different employees or students.Each person has individual needs that need to be handled in different ways, and I think this is something that this book does a good job of introducing.If you're in the army, you definitely need this, and if you're not, you can still gain a lot of knowledge by reading this. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Command of troops    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Leadership    5. Military    6. Military - General    7. Military Combat Units    8. Military Science    9. Defence strategy, planning & research    10. History / Military / General   

Subjects:  1. International Relations - General    2. Military Science    3. Political Freedom & Security - General    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Security, International    8. Social aspects    9. Technology    10. Terrorism    11. Defence strategy, planning & research    12. Impact of science & technology on society    13. Political Science / International Relations    14. Religious conflict    15. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle   

Subjects:  1. Aptitude Testing    2. Armed Forces    3. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery    4. Examinations    5. Study Aids    6. Study Guides    7. Test Prep    8. Tests    9. United States    10. Study Aids / Armed Forces    11. Theory of warfare & military science   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (253)

Not the Best Choice

Art Of War Best Translation!
This is the best version of the Art of War I have ever read.

This is aextremely short version of a timeless piece of history written for the future.
Sun Tzu's work, "The Art of War," originally written sometime in the period of time from 400 to 300 B.C.E., has experienced numerous revivals in popularity over the years. During the 1970s it was popular with students of the New Left when the study of guerrilla warfare was in vogue. In the 1980s, "The Art of War," reappeared in quite different company.
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Subjects:  1. Early works to 1800    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Military    5. Military - General    6. Military - Strategy    7. Military Science    8. Military art and science    9. History / Military / General    10. Theory of warfare & military science   

Reviews (42)

The secret is out
very interesting look at the mystery that is delta force. this book is written by the founder and first commanding officer of the force and represents an intriguing look at what was formerly kept secret. look into the world of some of our country's most daring and important servicemembers. this blow-by-blow account reads like a novel, and sometimes you wish that is all it was.

Page turner. Essential for Spec-ops library.
I first thought that this book would probably be a bit dull, since it didn't have a lot of combat experiences in it, but is mostly about the formation of Delta. But it's now one of my favorite reads. A real page-turner, it only took me a couple weeks to get through it. I admit that it's enjoyment is probably limited to those with a serious interest in special ops. It has an honest and candid tone that lacks the the egoism of Marzcinko's book about SEAL Six. If your interested in learning more about Delta, I also reccomend reading Eric Haney's book, and Blackhawk Down. All three are very interesting and informative books, that take you inside, are hard to put down, and inspire profound respect for those who serve their country in this capacity.

How to sell the Army a new idea
"Delta Force" should be required reading for every ambitious careerist working for a large organization. Wearingcamo fatigues or gray-flannel suit, this fine treatise tells the ambitious what it takes to get things done in a large organization--in this case, the largest organization-the U.S. Army. And what it takes is a very smart, relentlessly driven maverick, just what these organizations abhor. Maverick General Billy Mitchell was court-marshaled for proving to the Navy that one aircraft could take out the fleet's largest ship.
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Subjects:  1. Army    2. Army.    3. Beckwith, Charlie A    4. Delta Force    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. Military    8. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    9. Military Science    10. Modern - 20th Century/Nuclear Age    11. Operation Eagle Claw, Iran, 1980    12. Personal narratives    13. Political Terrorism    14. Special Forces    15. Technology    16. United States    17. United States.    18. War & Military    19. History / Military / General    20. Special & elite forces    21. USA   

Editorial Review

If the first 270 pages of this book had been published separately, they would have made up a lively, insightful, beautifully written history of theoretical physics and the men and women who plumbed the mysteries of the atom. Along with the following 600 pages, they become a sweeping epic, filled with terror and pity, of the ultimate scientific quest: the development of the ultimate weapon. Rhodes is a peerless explainer of difficult concepts; he is even better at chronicling the personalities who made the discoveries that led to the Bomb. Niels Bohr dominates the first half of the book as J. Robert Oppenheimer does the second; both men were gifted philosophers of science as well as brilliant physicists. The central irony of this book, which won a National Book Critics Circle Award, is that the greatest minds of the century contributed to the greatest destructive force in history. ... Read more

Reviews (134)

Ten Stars!!!
I have little to add to the many excellent reviews of this great book, except to say that, with many mediocre books getting four and five stars, a rating of "only" five stars for a work of this magnitude is woefully inadequate. Buy it, read it, enjoy it, learn from it.

Downright Scary!
Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the first (and hopefully the last) cities to be nuked. In particular, the eye-witness accounts of ground-zero Hiroshima at the end of this book were probably the most horrific things I have ever read, so wrenching that I don't want to give you an example (though I thought it was important to read). Scarier still are nuclear bombs available today that are 1000 times as potent as 'Little Boy'.
One of the Best Books Ever Written
It's a work of literature, it's a work of history, it's a work of engineering; Richard Rhodes wraps everything into one superb narrative.From Rutherford's canny experiments rigged with chewing gum and string, to Ernest Lawrence lighting a cigarette off an atomic test, nothing is beyond the author's grasp.This is a work of physics in action, the business end.From the very top, Mr. Rhodes' book details the decisions made by FDR and Truman, and goes right on down the chain of command to General Groves, the powerhouse behind the Pentagon's construction who was given stewardship over a bunch offractious geeks who were attempting to unleash the power of the sun.
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Subjects:  1. Atomic bomb    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. Military - Nuclear Warfare    6. Military Science    7. Modern - 20th Century/Nuclear Age    8. Atomic & molecular physics    9. History / General    10. Nuclear weapons    11. Ordnance, weapons technology    12. Science: General Issues    13. USA    14. World history: from c 1900 -   

Editorial Review

When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, few could have anticipated its potential for devastation. Pulitzer prize-winning author John Hersey recorded the stories of Hiroshima residents shortly after the explosion and, in 1946, Read more

Reviews (184)

"The hurt ones were quiet; no one wept, much less screamed in pain..."
When the atomic bomb dropped at 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was a thriving city of two hundred forty-five thousand people.By 8:20, one hundred thousand of those people were dead.Combining the broad perspective of the absolute devastation of the city with the tiniest details of six individual lives, John Hersey provides a powerful closeup of a few survivors of the atomic attack on Hiroshima, giving the carnage a human perspective.
Should be read by everyone
Hiroshima was written shortly after the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Journalist John Hersey traveled to Japan to record the devastation and interviewed many of the survivors, choosing six to focus on. The book begins at the precise moment the bomb exploded, taking each person in turn, setting the scene of where they were at the time and the immediate aftermath. I can't say this book is brilliantly written. There's little style and at times it becomes just a recitation of facts. But if you can put yourself in the place of the survivors, try to see what they see, feel what they feel, you realize how important it is for you to keep reading. This book isn't about entertainment, it's about understanding what the citizens of Hiroshima went through. Seeing them not only as statistics, but real people.

Thought Provoking
This book was very well written, it contains bits and pieces of journalistic facts while using the lives of ordinary people to show the impact of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in a compassionate and perceptive voice. John Hersey uses facts and the recollections of those who survived to weave a truely remarkable tale of what happens when one decision changes the lives of many. This novel contains bits and pieces of people's lives before and after the atomic bomb had been dropped. Although the book may seem short, the time that you spend thinking about the book is actually quite long. This book is not a light and happy read, it is not some classic that becomes cliqued and quoted all too many times, but what it is is an admirable tale spun not by the author himself, but by the lives of those who managed to do the near impossible. This novel tells the story of those who managed to live. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Japan    2. Atomic bomb    3. Blast effect    4. Bombardment, 1945    5. Hiroshima-shi    6. Hiroshima-shi (Japan)    7. History    8. History - Military / War    9. History: World    10. Japan    11. Military - Nuclear Warfare    12. Military - World War II    13. World - General    14. World War, 1939-1945    15. History / World   

Reviews (4)

Wow...A Great Coffee Table Book for Any Firearms History Buff
Just the pictures in this huge volume are enough to make it worth thumbing through, but the written information is tremendous and the author manages to cover all connections to Winchesters' Fathers, including John M Browning, my personal hero (other than my Father, Uncle, Grandfather and all other veterans of WWII and Korea).Probably not all the information on Winchester firearms and ammo history but all that I can absorb and still have a social life.

Eye Candy
Beautiful to look at. Not heavy in the way of company or technical history, but what a great coffee table book. Costly - if you can find it - but wow!

Another winner from R.L. Wilson
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Subjects:  1. Americana    2. Antiques & Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Firearms & Weapons    5. Firearms And Gunsmithing    6. General    7. History    8. Shooting    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Winchester rifle    11. Antiques & Collectibles / Firearms & Weapons    12. Militaria, arms & armour    13. USA    14. Weapons & equipment   

Reviews (2)

Great Place to Start
I first bought this book about 15 years ago.It made a huge impression on me then when I didn't know much about uniforms, and it is still a great resource today now that I am a uniform collector.The painted images of soldiers of all the major armies of World War II are vivid and interesting.The text is informative and thorough.Of particular use are charts that detail rank insignia for all the various armies.
Well-organized and beautifully illustrated reference work
This is the DEFINITIVE reference book on the uniforms of WWII.Mollo carefully explains his terms and illustrates them in this handy, well-organized work.Individual illustrations of patches, epaulets andweapons are complemented by contemporary, hand-colored photographs of awide variety of uniforms.Excellent! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Armed Forces    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Insignia    6. Military    7. Military - Uniforms    8. Military uniforms    9. World War, 1939-1945    10. Non-Classifiable    11. Sale Books   

Reviews (8)

a reader from Louisiana
This is a fantastic book about World War II. At times I felt like I was right there with the men of the 87th who fought their way across Europe. The book is full of history, but more importantly it is full of the stories of the men who fought the war. It tells you their story and you can't help but get caught up in this great tale. Michael Connelly is a master story teller.
A really greaat subject told very badly

An amazing historical account
Dick Sebian, a member of the 87th, lent me his personal copy of this book.Dick is 81 years old now and remembers details and dates like they happened last week.I would imagine that if you had actually lived through this like he has, you would never forget it.He is a great guy and one would never know what he went through at such a young age.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Military    5. Biography & Autobiography / General    6. Europe    7. European history: Second World War    8. Land forces & warfare    9. Trafford Publishing,trafford,Michael Connelly,The Mortarmen,1-4120-4902-4,04-2710,1412049024,042710,mortars,World War II,military history,Sadzot,Battle of the Bulge,Hurtgen Forest,mortarmen,4.2 mortars,D-Day,chemical mortar battalions    10. USA   

Subjects:  1. History - Military / War    2. Military - Naval    3. Military Science    4. Reference    5. Ships & Shipbuilding - Pictorial    6. Yearbooks & Annuals    7. 21st century    8. Naval forces & warfare    9. Weapons & equipment    10. Yearbooks, annuals, almanacs   

Reviews (1)

A 'must' for any who might need basic survival skills
Soldiers need to know how to read maps accurately, how to navigate, and how to understand all manner of maps, compasses, celestial navigation and more. So does the outdoorsman. For the military and the outdoors wilderness trekker, U.S. Army Map Reading And Land Navigation Handbook provides basic instruction on grids, scale and distance, reading overlays and using navigation equipment. A 'must' for any who might need basic survival skills.
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Subjects:  1. Army    2. Handbooks & Manuals    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Map reading    5. Maps, Military    6. Outdoor Skills    7. Reference    8. United States    9. Geography    10. Land forces & warfare    11. Outdoor survival skills    12. Sports & Recreation / Outdoor Skills   

Reviews (6)

Excellent for what it offers....though it's lacking....
I really love a book I just got, called the "Encyclopedia of Battles: From 1479 B.C. to Present"...that's a great book, not because it gives super large descriptions of battles, but because it HAS every battle and war in history. It also includes wars, and lists battles in order of these wars. I do not mind the lack of information, since I am merely using this book to look things up online in detail at wikipedia.com, so I'll be an expert on war and battles in history.
Military History: A Dispassionate View
War is both bloody and chaotic, yet if one wishes to understand it then one must not be so.In THE OXFORD COMPANION TO MILITARY HISTORY, editor Richard Holmes gathers the expertise of dozens of experts in military history to produce a massive text (more than 1,000 pages) on the entire spectrum of military history.When readers think of this topic they tend to think of battles and wars, and this text lists all the important ones and some that are known only to specialists.You want to know a one or two page summary of the battle of Stalingrad in 1942?Battles like this are discussed in detail and with clarity, often with surprisingly detailed illustrations and maps.Yet, this history includes far more than battles fought.Battles are not just set piece encounters of troop movements; they include the human element of both rank and file grunt and their respective commander.Further, battles are often won and lost solely on the basis of the technological superiority of one side over the other.Holmes' text includes all that and more.So for whom is this history intended?It it not for one who has no interest in matters of killing and strategy.It is for one who has a previous interest in a battle, a soldier, or a weapon.It is for one who has seen the film PEARL HARBOR and wishes to separate celluloid fantasy from historical fact.It is for the high school or college student who needs to know more than what is normally contained in a general history.And finally, it is for those who wish to have a handy one volume text of military arcana as the next step on a personal project or quest that involves using what Holmes' experts have to say.TOCMH is a superb gift to anyone who falls into any of the above categories.

Oxford Companion to Military History
This book is very thorough for the type of history it covers, but it has biases that detract it from receiving the highest rating.
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Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: World    5. Military - General    6. Military History (General)    7. Military history    8. Reference    9. History / Military / General    10. History of specific subjects    11. History, Other | Military History    12. Reference works    13. Theory of warfare & military science    14. War & defence operations   

Reviews (62)

Mr. Keegan's Opus
This is the first work that I and most others discovered Mr. Keegan's great mind for military history. It is an overview of the evolution of warfare from the middle ages to the present but more than that it seeks to answer the question of what motivates the common soldier to fight instead of following his instinct to run.Mr. Keegan's admiration and adoption of the common soldier's lot is moving and commendable in itself. He brings out the hero in the common man and for that all us common men can thank him.

Keegan at His Very Best
John Keegan is one of our best writers of military history and The Face of Battle is simply Keegan at his very best. He attempts to explain what humans actually do under the stress of battle and why. The book contains keen insights and some surprises. For example, while running away may intuitively seem highly sensible from the standpoint of self-preservation, it is in fact one of the most dangerous things a soldier can do. Or the US Army study that showed a shockingly high percentage of US army infantry never fired their rfiles when under fire - that study led directly to a