2 comments about The Great Admirals: Command at Sea, 1587-1945.

1. Francis Drake, Maarten Harpertzoon Tromp, Horatio Nelson, David Glasgow Farragut, Heihachiro Togo and more! The book not only has 19 chapters, each dealing with a great Admiral of one of the world's navies, but also there 6 survey chapters, which tell you about changes in ships, weapons and tactics to allow you to be kept up-to-date with the changes in naval warfare as you follow along with the greats, from Drake's expeditions to the battles in the Pacific during World War Two.

   If you liked this book, I would also suggest; Every Man Will Do His Duty: An Anthology of Firsthand Accounts From the Age of Nelson, 1793-1815. Edited by Dean King with John B. Hattendorf.




2. Mr. Sweetman has done a fine job with this interesting and readable collection. From Drake to Farragut to Togo to Halsey, this book will draw you in to examine the great generals of the past, detailing the decisive battles they commanded. The essays by the editor also supply a wealth of information about the history and tactics of naval warfare. A fine tome.

4 comments about Grown Gray in War: The Len Maffioli Story.

1. As an amateur military historian, I found GGIW to be one of the best written books on and about the Corps that I have ever read. While Len Maffioli will serve as the epitome of a Marine Staff NCO, I know, too, that Major "Doc" Norton has done a masterful job of putting Len's life on paper. The amount of research required by Norton was, no doubt, incredible. Students of the Marine Corps, students of WWII; those who are interesetd in the POW experience and the Korean War, and those who want to learn about the War in Vietnam, should add this book to their library. My hat is off to MGySgt. Maffioli for his heroic service to his country, and to Major Norton for having the wonderful talent of making it all seem so real -- from the page to the brain. Whoever said Marines can't write? Well done... Semper Fidleis. A retired Marine fan in South Carolina.



2. "Grown Gray in War" is the biography of Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant Len Maffioli. Maffioli served in combat on Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima, during World War II; was taken prisoner by the North Koreans during the Korean War, and later escaped from the Chinese Communists after 6 months as a POW; then saw combat again during Tet, in Vietnam, in 1968. --Thus the tiltle of the book. This is Major Bruce H. Norton's 5th book on and about Marines. It was also a winner in the San Diego Book Awards for biographies in 1997. Skillfully researched and well-written, this book should, in my humble opinion, be required reading for Marines in all grades. To accurately describe the event's of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, is a tribute to Major Norton's skill as a Marine historian. A great read!!



3. THE STORY OF LEN MAFFIOLLI, ONE OF ONLY 18 MARINES TO ESCAPE FROM A CHINESE POW CAMP DURING THE KOREAN WAR, IS WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ ABOUT THE MARINE CORPS. WELL WRITTEN BY MAJ. B. H. NORTON, THIS STORY DOCUMENTS WWII, KOREA, AND VIETNAM IN REMARKABLE STYLE. HATS OFF TO NORTON AND MAFFIOLI FOR PUTTING TOGETHER A SUPERB STORY. TEN OUT OF TEN!!!



4. This book outlines my own Vietnam history. I'm thrilled that Len mentioned me on page 260--regarding his R&R to Austrailia. Martin Young Maj. USMC Ret.

1 comments about Confederate Admiral: The Life and Wars of Franklin Buchanan (Bluejacket Books) (Blue Jacket Books).

1. I've just finished CONFEDERATE ADMIRAL and the more I reflect on it the more solid it seems. A great job of professional history and biography. Symonds sets Buchanan in his time, and does a great job of presenting a guy many of us wd not get along with in person, and whose ideas would not pass muster today, but presenting him without judgment in the context of his time and profession. I never felt the author liked him, but I never felt he disliked Buchanan either; it felt . . . objective. What a word, how seldom we see objective reporting today! Read this book to see what it means, and to follow a real roller-coaster of a career in a stormy century and time in America. Damn nice writing too. Thanks Mr Symonds!

1 comments about In the Footsteps of Stonewall Jackson (In the Footsteps Of...).

1. In The Footsteps Of Stonewall Jackson by Civil War Re-enactor and history buff Clint Johnson is a unique character study of the famous Civil War general Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, one of the most pivotal military strategists and leaders in history. Following the trail of Jackson's life from the church where he was baptized to the museum that holds the stuffed hide of his war horse to the grave of the Confederate officer who ordered the volley that fatally wounded Jackson, In The Footsteps Of Stonewall Jackson is a singularly impressive tour de force as enjoyable for armchair travelers as it is for tourists who want to actively seek out more about this fascinating man's life and the role he played in America's bloodiest conflict.

No comments about John Wesley (Ambassador Classic Biography Series).

5 comments about Gun Totin' Chaplain.

1. Being an egocentric, self righteous, cocky, and totally self absorbed Vietnam Vet (translation=NAVAL AVIATOR!) I read this book and learned much about the ground war in the south. Plus the humor injected throughout kept me in stitches. This boy from N Carolina do know how to write.
   
   A must read for those interested in the other side of the war from the perspective on one who was there, on the ground, in the fight and helping to stabilize those souls around him. An almost impossible task indeed but the Padre pulled it off on more than one occasion.
   
   The ADM.



2. Chaplain Autry's courage is an excellect example for us all to follow. The book is another one of his, "Can't put it down until you're done.", which I just did in one sitting last night. Of course, I know Jerry so well because he not only led me to Christ as my Savior and then baptised me in the ocean waters off Vietnam's coastline, but then he also got me pulled off the front lines after the 1968 Tet Offensive to serve as his OJT assistant chaplain after I took that AK47 bullet in the helmet.
   
   Then after hearing just one of your battlefield sermons I instantly believed and fell in love with Jesus, the Son of God, for the forgivness of my sins. I was suddenly born again and so filled with Christ's joy, hope, peace, and the love of God even though we were fighting in the middle of a terrible and hopeless war. I did a second tour of duty just for the priviledge to assist Chaplain Autry with his unique ministry of being there, "Always for the Troops", and learned more from this Man of Peace than anyone that has helped me throughout my life of readjusting since the Nam.
   
   Jerry even went on night ambush patrols with us sorry grunts. By risking his own life daily right along the side of us, he was actually living out his Christian life before us combat hardened grunts for us to see that God our Creator is real. Your great faith made many of us look like wimps and every combat paratrooper highly respected you regardless of their religion or no religion. You didn't just preach when things were safe enough. You also were always heading off to help in Vietnamese Orphanages, the field hospitals, hospital ships, and battlefield hot spots to help and pray for our wounded and dying brave heroes in their greatest time of need in hopes that they would survive. I salute and thank you, Battalion Colonel, Chaplain Autry, most decorated Army Chaplain, and Man of Peace, for your ever caring role model, dedication, and the great exemplary service to all us hard to reach out to grunts of the 1st/501st, to our country and to our ever loving God. Oh, and by the way thanks for the promotion to Sergeant too.
   
   I also got my 14 year old son his own copy of your newest book to read and hope that we can find all the rest of our old unit to get them a copy.



3. I served in A Co. 501st Dec 67/Dec 68. I saw Chaplain Autry on many occasions in the field. He was always the person you could go to on any problem or just to talk to. He was a field chaplain which we greatly appreciated. His book is an excellent read and gives you a perspective from a Chaplain's viewpoint. While he was an officer, we troopers never looked at him as an officer but rather one of us. He captures the spirit of the Airborne which is a small entity within the Army and often resented by the non airborne solders, especially senior officers. I found myself chuckling about some of the things he wrote about jump school. You had to go through jump school to appreciate. His is a different perspective on Nam. But a important one. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Vietnam and the troops that served there.



4. Jerry put into words my exact feelings. Thank you for the book and your thoughts on the Iraqi War.



5. Jerry Autry's personal account of his time in Viet Nam is a must-read for anyone who has never been to war. The emotional and intellectual journey the author experienced on the battle field is surprising in some ways (he actually volunteered to leave his wife and child to go there!), humorous at times, and very moving in many instances. His story is an unusually intimate and balanced account of the internal struggle to reconcile spiritual beliefs with duty to country; and, in the author's case, duty to the soldiers to whom he committed to minister. As he recounts life and death situations the reader understands that "religious distinctions" become a superfluous luxury when a scared or dying soldier simply wants to make peace with his God. And perhaps just as importantly, this memoir makes the reader more cognizant of the way our populace regards and "serves" those men and women whose sacrifices the rest of us can never comprehend. In this current time of war, Autry's book is a timely and thought provoking GIFT to all of us.

No comments about Chief of Staff, Vol. 2: The Principal Officers Behind History's Great Commanders, World War II to Korea and Vietnam.

5 comments about Stand By to Fall Out: From The Bases to The Beaches, In The Swamps and on The Shores; Four Years of Remembrance From a foot sore, Camouflage stained, Former Marine Corps Grunt!.

1. Bought this for myself and my father. Two old war horses looking for the real stories. Chadz's editor had a few troubles yet the truth is there, funny, insightful and a heck of a memory from this Marine... in this world of money making ex-marines, the ability that this Marine showed with a tad of self deprication was refreshing



2. Chadz is a fresh voice with an ear for dialogue and pacing. But even budding Salingers need editors and proof readers. Too many typos and miscues in this one to rate Five Stars. Blame it on the publisher.
   
   Still, recommended reading for would-be, current and former Jarheads.
   
   S/F



3. The author did a outstanding job timelining the days and duties of a Marine Grunt and Marine Security Force Sentry. The photos and attachments brought back a floodgate of memories and although this is not a book for my mother, it is one for Marines like myself, to rest, reflect and remember



4. I started to wonder if the world revolved around what publishers would allow or what phrases authors could use to score the biggest payday....then I read this book. Chadz did a marvelous job at showing the webs that are weaved by grunt Marines during their first 4 year tour. I can't say anything more except to applaud him for not throwing the CORPS under the bus like so many other Marine authors have done over the past year and that goes without saying what some of the "reporters" reported on. Good job...great read, helluva memory!



5. Great Book. Funny informative, face paced, ...a look iside the Corps from a grunts eyes that allows me to show a bunch of the stories to friends and prove that the world of the "grunt Marine" is ever changing, fast paced and always filled with adventure, learning and trials. One gets to cover basically a full tour with the author...great for Marines to remember and new Marines and Marine families to learn.

5 comments about Thach Weave: The Life of Jimmie Thach.

1. I am fairly well-read on the U.S. Navy in World War II. But prior to this book, all I knew about John S. "Jimmy" Thach was that he invented the "Thach Weave" air combat maneuver and fought in the Battle of Midway. It turns out that Thatch was one of the truly great U.S. Naval Officers, with a career filled with significant achievements.
   
   The book started a little slow but soon became very interesting. Overall it reads well.
   
   It's not unusual for books of this type to idolize the subject, causing the reader to wonder if the subject was as great as the book implies. I don't get that from this book. If anything, I felt the book understates Thach's amazing achievement on June 4, 1942 in the Battle of Midway. Of the three VF squadrons that escorted the USN attack against the Japanese carriers, only Thach's engaged in combat. Thach's six Wildcats were jumped by approximately 20 Zeros. Despite being outnumbered in a slower, less maneuverable fighter against experienced pilots, Thach shot down three Zeros and his wingman one using the Weave tactic that he had developed. Later in the day, Thach shot down a Kate Torpedo plane, probably that of flight leader Tomananga's. It was one of the great individual performances of World War II.
   
   Amazingly, Thach never flew in combat again. Immediately after Midway, he was sent to Florida where he had a big part in setting up the training pipeline that produced the thousands of naval aviators who manned the new 1943 and 1944 carrier air groups. I was struck by the contrast with the Japanese training system. Their aviators stayed in the fight until they were killed, after which there were no fully trained aviators to replace them.
   
   After two years ashore, Thach went back to sea in one of premier jobs for someone of his rank - Air Operations Officer for Task Force 58, the Navy's main striking force in the Pacific. I was impressed by how the U.S. Navy in World War II hand-picked promising young officers who had proven themselves in combat -- men such as Arleigh Burke, Jimmy Thach, and James Flatley -- and put them in charge: Burke as Chief of Staff and Thach and Flatley as Air Operations Officers of the gigantic Task Force that won the war in the Central Pacific, routinely deploying eight Essex class fleet carriers and eight Independence class light carriers.
   
   The book never says it directly but Thach must have been a very good public speaker. The book continually remarks on his speaking to various groups, briefing Congress or advising Admirals.
   
   One cannot help but notice Thach's devotion to the Navy and wonder how his absence affected his family. The book says says very little about this. Thach did well in the Navy, earning four stars and holding important, meaningful positions. But he surely paid a heavy price, being at sea so much, and working long-hours in the Pentagon.
   
   If what this book says is true, Thach was a founding father in the U.S. Navy's anti-submarine warfare infrastructure and organization. Not something you would expect from an officer with a fighter pilot background. I was a naval officer for 20 years, specializing in maritime patrol ASW. This book described the creation of the system I spent my career in.
   
   This book deserves to sit alongside those of Spruance & King (Thomas Buell), and Nimitz, Halsey and Burke (E.B. Potter) for those interested in World War II Naval Officers. Recommended.



2. Pacifists and cheeseparers in the 1920s and '30s left Hawaii without adequate defenses when the Japanese attacked in 1941.
   As the aircraft carrier Saratoga rushed from California to still smoking Pearl Harbor, the planes of Fighting Squadron 3 had only 24 rounds per gun for their Wildcat fighters -- not even enough to "charge" the guns in preparation for combat.
   Within a year, 12 of the 19 pilots in VF 3 were dead, killed partly by Japanese aggressors, partly by American politicians and moralizers.
   That more young Americans' lives were not lost in the early days was due in large part to three remarkable Navy aviators, Butch O'Hare, Jimmy Flatley and the commander of VF 3 in December 1941, Jimmie Thach.
   Of the three, all subjects of biographies by Steve Ewing, curator at Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Charleston, Thach may have been the most remarkable.
   O'Hare was the matchless marksman in battle, and Flatley was a superior teacher and lobbyist for new tactics. Thach was the originator of those tactics, a man who figured out how to substitute technique for technology.
   His solution, worked out over a kitchen table with matchsticks, was put to the test at the Battle of Midway, and with it a few Wildcats were able to hold off four times as many Japanese Zeros, though they were unable to fulfill their mission of protecting American attack planes.
   The maneuver, the "Thach Weave," was a lifesaver in the next year of ceaseless combat in the South Pacific, until newer, better planes were delivered.
   The weave was not wholly original with Thach; but his version was superior to the technique adopted shortly before by British pilots fighting the Luftwaffe.
   As a staff officer, Thach distinguished himself in the western Pacific, becoming part of still debated controversies about how the war was fought. Ewing dives into this fight with relish, as he has before.
   In a long career, Thach rose to the highest position in naval aviation, but possibly even more important, he was the leading tactician as the Navy struggled to adapt antisubmarine warfare to the challenges of fast, nuclear opponents.
   During years at Pearl Harbor in the 1960s, his antisub planes and ships tracked Russian opponents as if war might break out any second. He, at least, never forgot the surprise at Pearl Harbor.
   But the lessons Thach learned in a long, arduous career have too often been forgotten; and still are. Recalling the early days of the war in the Pacific, he wrote, "Early in the last war it was brought home to me that it is the untrained who are needlessly lost in combat, and who contribute little or nothing to the cause in which they are lost. I would rather have 12 properly trained aviators with me to fight 20 planes of an enemy than to have twice or three times that number of half trained or poorly trained pilots."



3. Since I was a child, John Thach was my hero. He is only sparsely mentioned in survey history books on World War II. Finding articles about him, or detailed accounts on his history, was always challenging. At age 8, I actually tried calling his house in Coronado, California (he wasn't home).
   
   As I grew older and read more in-depth histories on Midway and other battles, I learned much more of the significant role Thach played - what a master tactician - but there was no biography on him or any information on his early life or life after World War II.
   
   Finally, there is a biography - sort of. While finally getting detail on the full life and history of this Hero, in every sense of the word, is great, there is a lot missing.
   
   This book, along with Reaper Leader (on Jimmy Flatley) and Fateful Rondezvous (on Butch O'Hare) completes a trilogy on the great Navy fighter pilots in early World War II. Ewing's prime interest is clearly with Flatley, but the three men were good friends and worked closely together so that the research lent itself to creating biographies on each man.
   
   To Ewing's credit, he did help discover a treasure trove of Thach's personal papers, adding a wealth of information to the key role that Thach played in saving Naval Aviation (revolt of the Admirals in response to the USAF takeover of military aviation) and in advancing anti-submarine warfare to counter the serious nuclear threat of soviet submarines. In fact, those who know of Thach from his fighter pilot fame, will be surprised to find how much more he did for naval aviation and the US security AFTER the second world war.
   
   The author traces Thach from his childhood in Arkansas, the son of professional teachers, to his time at the Naval Academy, and solves the mystery of why John Thach was called "Jimmie Thach" when his older brother, who also attended the Naval Academy was named James Thach. Ewing describes his early service and wartime career in detail, and then goes on to describe the 20 plus years of service to the Navy after World War II.
   
   Unfortunately, the book seems stale, almost like a high school report summarizing an entry from an encyclopedia. Stories that should be vivid and memorable, seem remote and cold - like when as a young pilot, Thach exited the cockpit in flight because he didn't have time to go to the bathroom before leaving the field. After reading numerous exploits of young pilots from both world wars, and the fraternity type antics, a reader expects the story to be told as if an old joke or `war story' from somebody who lived it - not as a dry legal brief.
   
   While some of this might be from the author's style, it is more likely due to the challenge of describing an anecdote heard third or fourth person. Both Thach and his wife died in the early 80's, and they were only infrequently interviewed prior to their death. Few of their contemporaries are still around to impart the true and full color of the events.
   
   Therein lies the tragedy of this history and many more - as the "greatest generation" passes, we are loosing a wealth of history told by the people who lived it. This is a tragedy, but there is no government program or agency to `fix' the problem (nore should there be) - it is life.
   
   Still, the book is very worthwhile and thoroughly readable even if somewhat disappointing in the attenuation of the stories that you expect to bring the history to life. History buffs and fans of naval aviation will enjoy the book, or regret not getting it once printing ceases. Ewing justly deserves credit for this book which gives a wealth of otherwise unavailable information on a great American that gave 100% effort and his entire adult life to the security of America.
   
   By the way, as a cordial response to a comment by a fellow reviewer about the Wildcat being "vastly inferior" - inferior, yes, but not vastly so.
   
   It still remained in front-line service well into 1943, equited itself well when in sufficient number with the right tactics (i.e. Thach Weave), Joe Foss thought very highly of it, had a career kill to loss ratio of 7 to 1, and was one of the few pre-war fighters at the beginning of the war still in combat service at the end (the Hurricane and the P-40 were long gone). Give me a break, it wasn't like the Brewster Buffalo, Chance Vought Vindicator, Boulton Paul Defiant, Fairey Swordfish, Douglas Devastator, most of the French and Russian planes, or Bell Aircobra - now those were "vastly" outdated and inferior machines that should never had been put in combat!



4. At the beginning of World War II, the allies were in very poor condition to face the Germans or Japanese. Due to years of neglect, the American fighting forces, generally speaking, had vastly inferior equipment, and in many cases even worse tactics.
   
   Against the Japanese Zero fighter, the Americans fielded the vastly inferior Grumman F4F Wildcat. The Wildcat suffered in three vital areas to the Zero: climb, maneuverability and speed. The Wildcat did have advantages in firepower, due to the excellent .50 caliber Brownings, and in overall toughness. Jimmy Thach was able to come up with a flying mode to take advantage of those points in favor of the Wildcat while minimizing its disadvantages. This was called the Thach Weave after the inventor and the way he conceives of having two planes each fly a serpentine path that brought the planes together facing each other at frequent intervals. Thus any Japanese pilot falling in behind one of the planes would soon be facing the nose, and the machine guns of his partner. This enabled the American pilots to survive in the years it took to get more capable aircraft into service. The Thach Weave continues today, with todays far more capable aircraft but with the same basic principles and the same name.
   
   Mr. Thach survived the war and went on to ever higher positions within the Navy. This book uses just about half of its 338 pages on The World War II era, and the rest on his work at improving the Navy's aircraft afterward.



5. To start with I will admit that I am only half way through this book but wanted to rate what I have read so far and I can say that what I have read is very interesting. For those who are interested in Naval history and its heroes in particular will enjoy this book. Its nice to be able to learn more about Jimmie Thach because there aren't may books on the guy and he has a fascinating life that needs to be told. I would also highly recommend Steve Ewing's book on Butch O'Hare titled "Fateful Rendezvous". I do know that I will soon be ordering the third book in this trilogy on the Reaper leader Jimmie Flatley.

1 comments about Douglas Bader (Airlife Classics).

1. A well written history of one of the RAF's most famous flyers.The story of Britains legless ace is indeed a fascinating one,and this book tells the story very well indeed.Well worth the read for aviation enthusiasts and general readers alike.