No comments about Buster: A Canadian Patriot and Imperialist - The Life and Times of Brigadier James Sutherland Brown..

4 comments about CHURCHILL'S GENERALS (Cassell Military Paperbacks).

1. This book is an interesting and exceptionally well-done introduction to the British perspective of World War II. Each of the seventeen chapter is a biography of a key British general during this conflict. Some are well-known (Montgomery), while others have largely been forgotten (Sir Henry Wilson). Five generals end up having to share two chapters. Each and every one, though, gets a good biography. There are differences in focus, emphasis, and interpretation, which is to be expected, but none of these entries is weak. This fact in and of itself makes this book unique among in its genre.
   
   The authors come from a number of backgrounds: academia, journalism, and the military, including a general and a field marshal. One of the contributors is Australian, another is American and the rest are British. The reader is getting a good cross sampling of the British perspective.
   
   The main theme that emerges from these essays is the importance of interpersonal relationships with both Churchill but also other generals. The chapters also do a good job of introducing the reader to issues in the literature without getting bogged down in the details. Each chapter concludes with a chronology of the general's life and career.
   
   A reader unfamiliar with British military culture will stumble on some issues: the acronyms are completely different: GOC and KCB to give only two examples. (General Officer Commanding and Knight Commander of the Bath---a knighthood that gives the individual the title of "Sir.") The practice of keeping generals on half-pay is another practice that is often referenced but never explained. (A general without an assignment received only half his pay. If he did not receive an assignment after two years, he was retired.)
   
   Nonetheless, this book is easy to read and is recommended without reservation.



2. This is another of the biography collections covering World War II generals that was done in the early 90s by a British publisher. In this book we get an introductory essay by editor John Keegan that puts the rest of the book in context, describing how Churchill dealt with generals, what he thought of them, and how he related to them, briefly. After that, we have a series of short (each about 20-30 pages) biographies of various commanders from the British Army in World War II. The editor chose to restrict himself to officers from Britain itself, so no Guy Simonds or Bernard Freyburg. He chose commanders who had some influence on the outcome of the war, or who were somehow outstanding or memorable, so no Miles Dempsey. Instead, the editor chose those soldiers who stood out in some way, or were somehow instrumental in the victory in a fashion that can't be ignored.
   
   Within this, as is usually the case in such a volume, the individual biographies are somewhat uneven. Some are written as if you know everything already about World War II, and others are written in a very elementary style, as if you know nothing. Some are also more editorial or review of the individual's character and actions (the essay on Montgomery is the most obvious one in this category) while other seek merely to inform you about the person involved. There are two combination biographies, one covering the "Desert Generals" (Cunningham, Ritchie, and Leese) and another covering two generals who were more involved in diplomacy during the war, Adrian Carton de Wiart and Edward Spears. These tend to do little more than recount the facts of these men's careers: there's no space for anything else.
   
   I think the general researcher who's looking for a reference work covering this topic will find this book useful, if only in a limited fashion. Since the coverage is rather limited, you're going to be disappointed if a particular soldier isn't covered here and he's the one you're trying to research. On the other hand, if you are looking for information on someone who *is* here, then you're going to get more data here than you would from the Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography, for instance. So it depends on whom you're researching.



3. Churchill's Generals proves to be just that, basic introduction to the British generals who fought under Winston Churchill during the Second World War. Its an interesting collection of soldiers, some which every students of military history knows while others were folks no one never heard off until they read this book. These biographical essays proves to be a mixed bunch. Some are better then others. Some essays proves to be quite insightful and able to give an personal understanding of their subject. Others seem to be written by a clerk copying off some dossier file.
   
   The book is a companion to its sister volumes, Hitler's Generals and Stalin's Generals. I would put this book above Stalin's Generals but its definitely inferior to Hitler's Generals. I haven't seen titles for Roosevelt's Generals or Hirohito's Generals so I guess we are stuck with these three books.
   
   Overall, a pretty basic introduction essays. It should be enough to arouse your curiousity and hopefully you will read more on the subject. Some of the British generals like Slim really do need greater attention.



4. This collection of essays, edited by Keegan, provides a good introduction to most of the generals who made it to the top of the British Army in WW2. The essays are of varying standard and some require a knowledge of the subject and their place in the world. Each article has a bibliography and a career time line. Keegan provides an introduction as to each generals place in the scheme of things and his relationship with Curchill. Generally a good book with some outstanding essays.

2 comments about NELSON: THE IMMORTAL MEMORY (Conway Classics).

1. 'Written by two of the UK's finest naval historians' (from the back cover), the authors managed to create, at least in this readers mind, an almost palpable taste of cordite in the back of the throat and a recoil from the bloodstained decks of England's pride and joy. Howarth excels in explaining Nelson's naval strategy and does not fail to execute with a superbly delicate touch' an illustration of Nelson's troubled domestic life. The failure of Great Britain to honour the family of its hero is well documented and is nothing but an everlasting national disgrace.
   
   This is a ripping good read, beautifully written. The book exudes oak and pitch, blood and sweat in glorious detail. Not missed are petticoats and carriages and a depiction of 'Emma' that is at times both tender and analytical. Occasionally I got the feeling Howarth would have made a great 'Hardy' to Nelson, carefully navigating the 90 gun 'Perspective'.
   
   Wonderful !



2. There have been three biographies of Nelson written in the past few years that are worth reading; Tom Pocock's, Christopher Hibbert's, and this one by the Howarths. Pocock's is in many ways the most enjoyable to read, Hibbert's has some new information, but "Nelson: The Immortal Memory" is my own favorite and a good selection for someone just beginning to find out about the contradictory, fascinating man who was unquestionably the greatest fighting admiral who ever lived and whose memory lives on in the modern Royal Navy.

No comments about Jump, Damn It, Jump! Memoir of a Downed B-17 Pilot in World War II.

No comments about Master of Airpower: General Carl A. Spaatz.

No comments about Kentuckians in Gray: Confederate Generals and Field Officers of the Bluegrass State (None).

5 comments about The Threadbare Buzzard: A Marine Fighter Pilot in WWII.

1. I loved reading this book. So much so that I had to meet Mr. Tomlinson in person.
   The book is written in a way that makes it pleasant to read. Mr. Tomlinson says what he thinks and this what I want to read when I read a book about a WWII fighter pilot, not some over-studied analysis of a situation written by someone who was not even born at the time the events took place. The Threadbare Buzzard has opinions...so what? This makes this book all the more interesting to read.
   This is truly one of the few autobiographies I read that I will read again in the near future. Thank you for writing it, Mr Tomlinson, and thank you for your service to our country.



2. Let me start by saying that although I did not particularly enjoy this book, it is clear to me that Mr Tomlinson does have an interesting story to tell about a very interesting time in american, military and aviation history.
   
   Maybe this book would have been much better with heavy editing and a co-author, but I don't think this would have suited the self-styled "Oracle of Poverty Flats" as he refers to himself at many points throughout the book. Maybe then I wouldn't have to suffer through everyone being called a jolly chap......by someone from Montana.
   
   The book itself was a frustrating read due to Mr Tomlinson's convoluted narrative style bereft of any dialogue, which disconnects the reader from the evants taking place. This and his near refusal to use anyone's name was confounding to me. He would use up an entire paragraph or two dancing around someone's identity so that he would not use their name. Then to make matters worse when that person popped up again in the book they were refered to as "the brother of the pilot who shot down Yamamoto", "the Harvard Man", "the other Harvard Man" (not Kidding) or "The Bostonian". This makes for truly enthralling reading and when one of these infuriatingly nameless people gets killed, the feeling is "so what?" His relative's review seen here on Amazon states "he remembers everthing...", well everything except people's names. Everyone that is, except Gregory Boyington, which brings me to my next point....
   
   Man does he have axes to grind! With the Navy, with the Army, with the government, with the US citizens (Corsairs cost a staggering sum of money per air hour.........a magnificent flying club funded by the taxpayers, who had it coming anyway." page 256), but most of all with Gregory Boyington of Black Sheep Squadron fame. I don't know what Boyington did to Mr Tomlinson but it must have been something really greivous or maybe this is sour grapes from someone who got tired of fielding questions about the FAMOUS pilots of VMF-214, whom he never flew with. The ones who actually shot down a few enemy planes and were written up in the press for it, which seemed to infuriate Mr Tomlinson. Look, I know that Boyington was a flawed person and that a few of his aerial victories may have been a little suspicious, this is well documented in "Black Sheep One", by Bruce Gamble. Even if Boyington "only" shot down 20 or so planes between VMF-214 and the Flying Tigers and drank himself into a little trouble, I see no valid reason for the petty personal attacks in this book by a man who by his own admission drank alot and got into a little trouble himself. I have read every book about VMF-214 that I have been able to find (which doesn't make me an expert by any means), exchanged emails and spoken on the phone with men who actually flew with Boyington and although I have heard stories never before published, I have never heard some of the accusations he makes. The irony is, if it weren't for the Black Sheep, chances are he would never have been invited to write a book in the first place. Mr Tomlinson only succeeds in making himself look bad. The publisher certainly isn't shying away from the connection, using Boyington's name on the dustjacket.
   
   Personally, I feel that if you want to read about Marine aviation during WWII, read "Ace!", by Bruce Porter, if it's Boyington you are interested in, read the excellent and even handed "Black Sheep One", by Bruce Gamble or if you want to read a poignant memoir, read "Lost Black Sheep", by Robert Reed, all of these are excellent books on this subject matter.



3. I found the book to be disappointing. Entirely excessive on the sarcasm and political drum beating to make it an enjoyable read.



4. I had great difficulty finishing this book. Tomlinson has a serious jealousy problem with some of the top allied fighter groups of WW2;e.g. Eagle Sqd., Flying Tigers, and Boyington's Black Sheet Sqd. He frequently makes statements that are contradicted by offical records. His constant snide remarks about Navy and Army pilots was very tiring. Also his writing skills left much to be desired; for example his constant use of silly cliches were very boring. I bought the book expecting to read about USMC Corsair flyers in the Pacific but read very little of actual combat. Of my extensive WW2 fighter pilot library this book is by far, the poorest.



5. I enjoyed this tale of a young mans adventures in trying to get into the war and his exploits while there.

No comments about Courage and Fear: A Primer.

2 comments about The Spectator: A World War II Bomber Pilot's Journal of the Artist as Warrior.

1. Most WWII stories are told with a "gung-ho" American point of view. And although David Zellmer never expresses a problem with U.S. policy, his point of view is so far removed from the general collective, that it becomes inspiring and mind-blowingly real, because of his ability to bring the reader into his young, cynical, and advanced observation of the war machine. He performes his duty without question. But he expresses a distaste for the loss of civilians, and maintains his commitment to his job with a powerfull artists eye. He notices things that anaverage WWII soldier would never dream of. As you read and become involved in this 26 year old's life, you start to forget what the war was about yourself. Ultimately, his visions do not try to downplay the moral and national justifications of the war, but rather let you in on the workings of a mind, sometimes self-absorbed, with the best intentions at heart. His absolute love of the art of flying combined with all of his other observations will stay with the reader forever.



2. I am grateful for Mr. Zellmer's detailed memoir of his life as a bomber pilot in the South Pacific. Although my own father served in the Army Air Corps fighting the Japanese, he never shared his frightening experiences with our family. This books allows the reader an opportunity to know the sights, the beauty, the fears, the excitement and the boredom of war in tropical lands. In addition to allowing us inside the cockpit during his first flights and later his bombing missions, Zellmer gives the reader a front row seat into the world he came from, the on stage world of Martha Graham's Dance Company. It's apparent that the author spent long years researching the era, as well as putting together his combat experience from letters written home to family and friends. I found this both a compelling and an informative read.

5 comments about Mark 947: A Life Shaped by God, Gender and Force of Will.

1. I, like most of the other reviewers, loved the book, but like only one other reviewer, wanted more. The beginning of her life, up to where she joined the Navy was an awesome sketch of her life to that point. After she got out of the Navy, I wanted more detail about how she came about truly wanting change in her life and the steps she took to go about creating that change. I know that the subject matter has to be quite personal, sensitive and difficult to recount, but I wished that the end of the book had been more formed. I did enjoy her writing style, however, and look forward to anything else (a supplement for this book, maybe?) she may write.



2. A fantastic account of one woman's journey to find herself. Calpernia Addams shares her inner pain and strength, as she struggles with religious intolerance, sexuality, and gender conflict. Her childhood with a "fire and brimstone" church reminded me so much of my own childhood it was almost as if it were my story and not someone else's. I remember church camp....it was my story too.
   
   Great book from a talented author and actress.



3. Calpernia Addams came to national attention when she was named as the transgender lover of Private Barry Winchell. Winchell, who suffered continuous harassment for his relationship with Calpernia, was brutally beaten to death by another soldier at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The excellent film "Soldier's Girl" is the story of their relationship. "Mark 947: A Life Shaped by God, Gender, and Force of Will" is Calpernia Addams' courageous memoir describing her childhood, her identification with the female sex, her decision to become female, and her relationship with Barry Winchell.
   
   Calpernia was born a male and named Scott--the eldest of three children born to a fundamentalist couple in rural Tennessee. A strict, barren upbringing was alleviated by a progressive high school--although Calpernia's parents, unfortunately, curtailed this. Unable to connect as a male, Scott drifted into the navy and served as a medic in the first Gulf War. Finally discovering the courage to live as a woman, Calpernia moved to Nashville, attended university, and became a nightclub entertainer.
   
   A large portion of the book concentrates on Calpernia's narrow, suffocating childhood. Raised to accept strict doctrine, somehow Calpernia was capable of independent thinking, and instead of sinking into her family's way of life, she reasoned her way through feelings of alienation and lack of identity as a male. Ironically Calpernia's strict upbringing allowed her to discover a niche in the Navy, as many of the restrictions placed upon her as a teenager covered her lack of machismo when attending boot camp. Calpernia states that her "religious upbringing had allowed me sanctuary" from engaging in raucous behaviour. She describes the agony of being surrounded by men, wanting their attention, and affection, but being afraid of saying the wrong thing. The memoir is quite detailed when discussing moments and pivotal events that influenced Calpernia's life. While the author is not a professional writer, the writing is good. In one passage, the description of a dead body manages to convey the incident's powerful impact on the author, and it's clear that this incident helped energise Calpernia into making the decision to become female--displacedhuman



4. Calpernia's writing style is very eloquent. Her words paint vibrant pictures of thought and feeling seldom found in an autobiography. She made me smell the candles, feel the air, see the swirling leaves and feel the pounding of cold rain. Fortunately, she never made the leaves or the rain 'dance' anywhere (oh, just read the book and you'll know what I'm refering to). As if I were in her very skin, I could see, taste and smell the church food and festivities, the clubs, even Barry. I could easily recognize the voice of a woman's heart crying out for validation, for love... for justice.
   
   Despite her well-honed use of words and description, I felt that the story languished in the day-to-day world of her childhood without offering the clear contrast of the gender and sexual orientation sruggle going on inside of her. In many ways it seemed like any other novel about growing up in the south. Thereafter, the book takes us through snapshot moments of her life without clear relevance or continuity in the context of the whole story. The final "epilogue" chapter was more like just another chapter instead of an actual epilogue. I felt that the book was a bit herky-jerky: laborously long in some places and rushed in others and no real sense of tying some things together. It was much like getting out a photo album and talking about this moment and that moment over coffee. Thus, I gave it 4 stars.
   
   That said, I cannot impart upon the prospective reader enough what an important work this is and a worthy read. It will take you on an emotional journey that brings you to the center of your own heart, if you have one.



5. What blew me away upon reading this is how superlative this is compared to other TS autobiographies. Calpernia is a seriously gifted writer! She has written here possibly one of the best autobiographies I have ever read, TS or not. Her prose is beautiful, her memories flow logically for the reader, and the whole book is laced with humor. She conveys her feelings very clearly, without falling into cliche. She also does not attempt to whitewash her life. It is all here, even the parts that are clearly the most painful to her.

   If you decide you have to read one TS autobiography in your life, this is the one you should read! Calpernia has written a truly amazing literary journey! This book also stands up as great art. I mean that. I think that she should continue to write books. She is gifted, and could write great novels.