Military Books

Superb book, great pics .. left a great impression on me and as i reflect
much of my childhood growing up with this plane..i just felt so nostalgic
a must get and not to be missed for those who need to close the chapter
of the tomcats in their hearts.. will never be forgotten

ps..amazon's delivery was super fast considering im half way round the world,,. many thanks

Every thing was just fine except the mistake the authors have made by calling the Persian Gulf the "arabian gulf" which is kinda like an insult to the Iranian readers as Iran is the only country that is now operating F-14s (even though it is in fewer numbers). But all in all, this was a great book with lots of awesome photos. I liked it!

This book has some of the best tomcat photography you will find. The text, while interesting could be a little more heavy on the history of each of the fighter wings it covers. Hildebrandt's effort is nonetheless stunning. I only wish I could do this kind of photography for a living!

If you loved the Tomcat with passion, and miss the sound of those two General Electric jet engines on a hot clear day, this is the perefect book. Beautiful photos , it was a fitting tribute to one of the greatest fighters ever built.

I must be getting old. I remember when the F-14 Tomcat was just being designed and adopted by the Navy. Now we are telling them 'Good Bye.'

The F-14 entered service with the Navy in 1972. It was retired from the U.S. Navy fleet on 22 September 2006, having been replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. As of 2007, only the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force still flies the aircraft. Where did those 34 years go?

This book is a memorial to the Tomcat. It's a photographic essay of the last seven squadrons (down from over thirty) to fly the big bird. The photography is beautiful, mostly in the air, but quite a few on the deck of the big ships, and a couple very sadly showing the old birds sitting out in the field, stripped of unit ID, stripped of their soul.

It's a beautiful book, and an excellent tribute to the men and their very beautiful, very high performance machines.

Having served in Vietnam myself, I found this book to be of utmost interest. If you want a real feel for the average guy serving in Vietnam this book gives you great insight. You can tell Mr. Stahl did his research and brought back details as if he were there yesterday instead of in the late 60's. The book is a good easy read even for a guy like myself who doesn't read nearly as often as I should. I highly recommend this book.

This is a great read. If you want to pick up a book to get a 'feel' for the everyday life of a Vietnam Vet, this is a wonderful starting point. The author captures with entusiasum, the daily grind of what life was like for the 'GI' in Nam. A book depicting a "biographical glimse" into the life and mind of the author should put you in his "shoes", and Stahl manages to do just that. You live and breath with his "typical" day, which includes 'dodging' bullets and listening for every sound being made while on 'gaurd duty'. After reading this book I wanted to find a Vietnam Vet and give him/her a hug, and say, "Thank you for serving."
As Dick mentions in the book: ..."as I deplaned, I was instantly sledge hammered with a blast of tropical heat...". I'm sure, based on some of his comments, the same description could be used to describe the way many "Nam Vets" were treated when they got back to the States; "sledge hammered" by quite a few ungrateful public.

As one who didn't serve I would like to say two things: Dick, thanks for serving, and thanks for the wonderful book, one that will captivate all who read it.
I know you being an educator, that your students, staff, and parents whose lives you came in contact with, benefited from the life enduring skills you had to learn to stay alive, and take each day as it was thrust upon you. A terrific book. I can't wait for your next one.
A fellow teacher/educator/friend

I ordered APO 96490 and received it yesterday at 2 P.M. I immediately started reading (recalling, digesting) and you guessed it .... at 10 p.m. I finished (I'm a slow and thorough reader). So many of the accounts paralleled my year (1970) in Nam. The main differences were: (1) I was drafted from graduate school and spent 1970 in Nam, (2) I was married, (3) I had a one year old son, (4) I was with the 4th Infantry, (5) I took an R&R to Hawaii in August to see my wife and son, (6) I was actually stationed at An Khe, (7) most of my friends attended Sunday chapel with me, and (8) I was welcomed back from Nam (from family, friends and my church family) with open arms and thanked for a job well done. Your accounts brought back many "new" memories, which I thought I had forgotten. I have been able to locate my best buddy in Nam and unfortunately he has never been able to "put it behind". I definitely will suggest he read this wonderfully written book and try drawing on its content. Even though it is just 212 pages, it is packed with volumes of information that only the vet will be able to fully appreciate. Looking forward to your next book.

On at personal note: Richard Stahl and I graduated from Sandwich High School together in 1963. We both attended the 40th class reunion this year (2003). Ed (from the book) also graduated with us and was at the reunion. Richard was one of the most popular and most liked kids in the class; he was a "brain", not a "nerd", and very athletic. He had great family roots in Sandwich (his parents were wonderful, common, down to earth people- his dad was known and loved by everyone in Sandwich- about 3000 people in 1963). God bless you, your wife and family.

From page one through the entire book I felt like I was on an adverture with the arthur. I felt like I got to know him as a person and to appreciate the experience of being in the army. The vets got a raw deal coming out of the war and he portrayed that very well. It is both entertaining and and informative. Good fast read.

As a reader of APO 96490 I must say Stahl held my interest throughtout the entire book. I found myself feeling somewhat guilty all snuggled up on my couch with the fireplace burning, while Stahl vividly describes being shot at while in a bunker.
Stahl does an excellent job of educating the reader in regards to military terminology and jargon which provides insight into how the military functions and operates.
I especially enjoyed Stahl's ability to recreate the sights, sounds, smells, and feel for the surroundings he was placed in. As one reads, the mind can capture the very situation being described.
APO 96490 takes the reader on a journey through the life of Stahl as he experienced Vietnam. One rides the roller coaster of emotion as you experience the highs and lows of military life during war.
After reading APO 96490 I have a much healthier respect for all of our servicemen and women who have served our country and fought during wartime.
GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!!!!!!!

A Russian submarine armed with nuclear missiles surfaces during a storm in the Caribbean off an island plagued with guerrilla fighters and protected by a small British Military force. Can the Russians complete their clandestine mission before being discovered? How will the British react if they do discover them? This one left me wanting to find the answers and fast.

Have you ever found yourself on the brink of annihilation? Can you imagine what it would be like to know that any moment could be your last?

John Cassell places the reader directly inside a ticking time bomb. The Soviet's have shown up at St. Margaret's with bad intentions. Not that the tiny place is a picture of tranquility with all the guerilla activity, but no one saw this coming. Eventually the Russian visitors are discovered, to much disbelief. After several attempts to find an alternative answers, soldiers finally agree that the impossible has happened. Tonight they may be wiped from the map.

All the St. Margaret "dignitaries" are gathered for a New Year's Eve celebration, oblivious to what is happening around them. Soldiers muster together to face incalculable odds. The weather and their lack of manpower surely place them as sitting ducks. The British harbor thoughts, and rightly so, of turning tail and running, but Hill emboldens the troops to dare the impossible. The decision is made and the battle of wills begins. But will it be the beginning of World War III?

I invited you to read for yourself. The answers will leave you breathless. And I find myself wondering, was Mr. Cassell really there on St. Margaret's that night?

What is Armageddon? The war to end all wars? The final conflict? John Cassell has written in two parts a fascinating tale of a single incident that, handled wrong, could have catapulted nations into Armageddon. In part one Cassell expertly builds up the tension of an ongoing military confrontation which carries the omnious possibility for a catastrophic conclusion. We are taken inside the build up as one force prepares to supply comrades while the opposing force decides on the best course for intervening. This intrusion demands immediate, yet measured with reasoning, response. What will become of the world if this isolated standoff escalates into something more . . . My review continues in Part 2

Joshua Berry, author of Andrea's Dream and numerous Amazon Shorts

A well written enjoyable and believable account of what might have been. Line after line of suspense and chicanery holds your interest through out.
The only issues I found was that it ended much to quickly.

Apocalyptic stories based on potential nuclear annihilation are not new. There are basically two angles from which such stories are written: the timeline that leads up to the apocalypse and how an involuntarily-chosen few attempt to prevent it, or the aftermath of the apocalypse where people are forced to survive in a changed world. Some stories combine the two angles into one arching epic; it takes a very special writer to pull that off well.

Armageddon: 1973 - Part 1 takes the first angle. It shoots out of the chute with action and intrigue, and it continues to unfold layer after layer until the reader is left with a full-blown apocalyptic crisis beginning to rear its head. John Cassell has crafted a work that closely echoes Tom Clancy's mastery of the genre. His writing comes across as effortless, and very knowledgable, especially with regard to technical military matters (however, it's not at all dry or dull). He has shown the story as it takes place from all sides and develops a palpable tension that builds to the end, forcing the reader to not only ponder what has taken place but to instill a strong desire to find out what has yet to take place in Part 2.

As for turning this into an arching epic as I described previously, I believe John W. Cassell could do it. I really do.

Fascinating book, very worthwhile. Tons of well organized and documented information. Wonderful and thorough reference.

I've made armor using the diagrams of existing armor types from this book. I didn't much care for some of the strapping arrangements described, so I designed my own. (Hey, this is the armor the regular fighters left behind - Wisby was defended by the teens and the oldsters to judge from the age of the bodies. This suggests the men of prime fighting-age were elsewhere, with their primary armor.) It worked, well, and protected me in combat. And the illustrations and text were clear, clear, clear.

This book has a very special meaning to me since I'm from the town of Wisby(nowdays spelled Visby). Born and raised on the island Gotland and lived most of my life thete. I'v built several of these coats of armour and so far everyone I've tried on have been of satisfatcion. The book is so far the best resource book I've ever found. I have for a long time tried to find the first edition, but IF you can find it somewhere it's incredibly expensive. So jus imagine my joy when I saw there was a reissue! And very soon I'm going to be proud owner of this masterpiece...
The book is really easy to use and have exceptional drawings and scetches. Transforming the scale of the objects in the book to original size is really easy and there's a lot of information i general. At last a recommendation for all you SCA-fighters out there. Try out armour no.6 and no.9 because they give very good protection and are comfortable to wear.

This book has a very special meaning to me since I'm from the town of Wisby(nowdays spelled Visby). Born and raised on the island Gotland and lived most of my life thete. I'v built several of these coats of armour and so far everyone I've tried on have been of satisfatcion. The book is so far the best resource book I've ever found. I have for a long time tried to find the first edition, but IF you can find it somewhere it's incredibly expensive. So jus imagine my joy when I saw there was a reissue! And very soon I'm going to be proud owner of this masterpiece...
The book is really easy to use and have exceptional drawings and scetches. Transforming the scale of the objects in the book to original size is really easy and there's a lot of information i general. At last a recommendation for all you SCA-fighters out there. Try out armour no.6 and no.9 because they give very good protection and are comfortable to wear.

This book contains a wealth of knowledge about medieval armour and the effects of weapons. The pictures are fantastic, skeletons buried in their armour, rarely does one get to see how armour was actually worn. The breakdowns and detail of actual armour construction is immaculate and enables any competant armourer to reproduce the examples shown. The detail from an archeologist's point of view was a little too in depth for my interest but if you are that way inclined then great. Only issue I have is the "analysis" of some of the wounds seen, Mr. Thordeman seems to imply that this battle was unusual in some way, that the combatants fought with unusual fury. He sites one incident of one combatant having both legs severed by a single blow as an indication of some great fury and intensity. I only disagree as there are very few examples of medieval battle wound pathology to compare the Wisby corpses. It seems that the author is looking at the battle from too detached a viewpoint, forgetting that killing was the purpose of the people who showed up to battle that day. This is a small detail but supposition as to the mental states of combatants, by someone who has no first hand experience of battle is unproductive. Otherwise a great book.

I nominate J. T. McDaniel as the new Edward L. Beach. Bacalao is edge-of-the-seat military fiction at its page-turning finest.

Mr. McDaniel may not have served aboard an active-duty fleet boat but you certainly can't tell it from his book. He knows submarines and when you read "Bacalao" so will you! He entwines fiction with historical fact in a manner that is very similar to the way W.E.B. Griffin does. You very quickly begin to care about what happens to his characters. A "page-turner"! As a former Navy man, I'm pretty critical of the "technical stuff" in books of this nature and Mr. McDaniel has it right. I recommend it highly

There have been many excellent books written about WWII submarine warfare over the decades. One would think that this genre was over done and that nothing new or better could done with this theme--and you would be wrong! J. T. McDaniel has a great tale to tell through a fictional sub and its crew in his novel called "Bacalao." This one will eventually join the ranks of old naval classic submarine stories like "Run Silent, Run Deep" and a very short list of others that are considered classic war stories.

McDaniel has captured the emotions of the sub crews and what seems to me, as a technically accurate portrayal of what these subs were really like. He paints with his words visual images that are mixed into real historic back drops of time and place to create a feeling that this all could have happened. I believed in the story line and the people and the sub itself.

The writing is brilliant and the reader will have little trouble following the plot. The book takes you from the construction of the submarine in Connecticut, through Pearl Harbor and onto patrol in the Pacific. The author allows the story to unfold from the view point of Laurence Miller who rose from junior officer to the commanding officer of the Bacalao. This works very well for telling this story.

The book is a good read and will keep you interested from the first couple of pages to the ending. It is given the MWSA TOP RATING - FIVE STARS!

2005 Distinguished Honor Award from the MWSA!

We think of the submarine as a silent, deathly hunter. However, within seconds the sub can become the hunted. Only the skill and ingenuity of the commander, his officers' staff and each member of the crew will enable them to elude the determined enemy surface force bent upon destroying them. McDanels doesn't sugar coat things. Events happen quickly! Attention to duties is paramount! Your response must be instantaneous and correct.
Other options are not acceptable if you are to fight another day.
This is a must read!

Bacalao is the name of a fictional Gato class submarine. McDaniel brings us inside the sub. He gives look at what it must have been like to fight the war against the Imperial Japanese Navy, and the frustrations encountered.

This is a very credible read about a war that is fading into history for many these days.

I've read about 40 first-person books written by survivors of the Japanese POW camps and this is one of the best. When I began reading the book I didn't realize that I knew Lt. Boyt's family and when I did the story became even more compelling. Lt. Boyt and his biographer did an excellent job of telling his story, outlining what life was like for the young people during the 1930s and early 40s and how overcoming the hardships of that life was what made this the "Greatest Generation". Boyt's story tells how he used determination to overcome barrier after barrier to become a successful and useful citizen. Those traits did him well when he was suddenly thrust into the horror of prison camp under the brutal heel of the Japanese. He and his buddies withstood more than is hardly believable. Young Americans should be required to read this book so they can better understand that this is the "Home of the Free BECAUSE of the Brave!"

Pleased with the prompt delivery. Good doing business with you.

This is a fascinating, well-written account of the life of a man who symbolizes the best qualities of "the greatest generation." Men like Mr. Boyt endured unimaginable suffering and then came home to live quiet, decent lives without seeking the attention and respect they deserved. We need to hear their stories and learn from them before they pass away. This book is inspiring and easy to read. I highly recommend it.

Great read! Clear, concise, draws you in. Gene Boyt's outstanding character and his attitude about the horrible ordeal he is forced to endure comes through clearly as a big reason for his survival. Mr Boyt's story is one of true heroism, although he states he considered himself only a survivor. This excellent book shares a special place on my bookshelf next to other stories of Mr Boyt's great generation. -Forever Greatful

This is the story of my Grandpa. I hope you all enjoy this book! Now that my Pops is in a better place I can read this book and feel closer to him than ever. Through reading this book my family and I have learned so much that we never knew about our Pops. It shows the best and worst of the people of the Death March and the angels that helped my pops to survive so that I may be here today. I hope you enjoy this as much as we have! Thank you for reading it.
Shoni Boyt

Major Terry's personal account of his experience in the Korean "Police Action" put color into the black and white images
many "baby-boomers" have of this war. His descriptive prose (written in the vernacular of the 50's) provides the reader with a visceral feeling of the pain and simple pleasures experienced by combat troops. This book is user-friendly with it's explanation, use and application of military jargon for readers who did not serve in the armed forces.

...that will, hopefully, serve to remind us of the committed men and women who fought and died during that awful "forgotten war" on that dirty little peninsula 50 years ago. As the child of a "Pusan Commando," I have often wondered about the war that my father was so reluctant to speak of. Mr. Terry vividly illustrates that war, and wastes no time writing eulogies or second-guessing the policies of the time. He tells of the events, and little more, in a concise manner reminiscent of Hemingway, with a down-home ease and matter-of-fact manner that is sure to drawn in the reader. This book is for the Korean War what THE LONGEST DAY was for WWII. A must read for anyone.

This first-hand account begs the ultimate question facing us today:

What if we hadn't flown in the so-called "unprepared and un-equipped Army troops from Japan to hold the Pusan perimeter? What if the ports were mined, our ships blocked by fast patrol boats and thousands of miles away? What if we had waited for ships to arrive?

The answer is the North Koreans would have over-ran the South and the U.S. would have accepted this as fait accompli. Look what we did when the Chinese Communists ran the Nationalist Chinese off to the island of Taiwan a few years earlier in 1949.

Today, this is why we have a U.S. Army 2d Infantry Division and an 8th Army Headquarters on the ground in Korea today--so America is not interdicted and forced to "cut and run" either strategically or on the battlefield where BOTH Soldiers and marines oriented to fighting a linear war had to retreat or else be encircled and annihilated by superior numbers of enemy swarming across rugged mountain/hill terrain. Today, we will stand at fight, just like the gallant men of the first Korean War did. South Korea would have been lost to Communism had it not been for U.S. Army Soldiers like Addison Terry "going as is when he was called". It was men like him who then held the Pusan perimeter for weeks so we could assemble the ships together to do General MacArthur's Inchon maneuver warfare masterpiece, cutting off the enemy deep in their own rear and retaking he capital of Seoul. However, we will not have weeks and months again in the future to do this amphibious stunt again.

The lesson of this book is that we have to have AIR-delivered U.S. Army forces ready NOW to fly to the aid of U.S. Army and AF forces already on the ground "holding the perimeter"--let's not lose sight of the fact that these kinds of forces saved the day in Korea long ago, as unready as would have like them to be in favor of allegedly better forces that cannot get there at all or in time in a world that moves by the speed of the air where surface ship wakes are seen from space and targeted by mines, missiles, patrol boats and modern diesel-electric "ultra stealthy" submarines.

The nemy thought in 1950, that he could "smash and grab" South Korea before we could get men on the ground to stop him. Men like Addison Terry proved them wrong.

Addiston Terry served with the 27th Infantry in the Korean conflict. I served in the 27th Infantry in World War II. The knowledge that we were both "Wolfhounds" led me to read the book despite the fact that my previous experiences with war reminisces even by other "Wolfhounds" had been disappointments. I was happy to find that Terry had done a great job of reporting the essencs of war. His reports of a group of poorly trained, poorly equiped and under strength Companies and Batallions is brutaly true and should be (although history says it won't) a lesson to every American Citizen that maintaining strong military ground force is a must. Terry depliction of military life with its hours of boredum and moments of sheer terror, as well as the continuning hunger and always present need for sleep are excelent. I would recomend this book to every veteran and in particula to other Wolfhounds regardless of the war in which they served.

TERRY'S BOOK IS SO good I'm at a loss to give it all the praise it deserves in the framework of a brief review. He has an engaging style of writing--cuddle up with this book in an easy chair. The description of the battles is crisp; of the lulls, languid. His honesty is touching and much like Tom Sawyer ("I cried a little bit when I covered up his face") he doesn't smother you with descriptions of casualties. You respect Terry's dignity (and that of the wounded or dying) for this brevity. He only asks that you never forget. On those few occasions where he is tempted to write a bit of an epitaph ("Able had lost a good platoon leader, I had lost....") his words get in the way.

Everybody loves Terry for his stories of battles and combat. Why? Again, he lets the story tell the story. The effect is fantastic. If you are wondering why everything suddenly falls apart at Sachon Pass [earlier that morning his men were "red hot-- an untouchable force"], well you can keep wondering because Terry doesn't know, either. As you get the sense the whole situation is slipping out of control with an NKPA roadblock behind them and the flanks crackling with encircling fire, you get just as angry as the author does when he finds an artillery battery that doesn't even have a defensive perimeter in place.

So the whole book goes. The fog of war becomes fog in the text. The words become Terry's eyes and ears, through which the soul of the drama enters the soul of the reader.

The truth is the only way we can learn from the mistakes made in the Korean War. His Haman chapter handles the issue of the 24th ID's dereliction of duty with honesty and candidness. His disgust of 'civilian bureaucrats' in Washington is justified and palpable. I might point out the swollen military brass in Japan prior to the Korean War were just as pathetic. Some things will never change.

Overall the book is an excellent read. Korean War buff's might want to brush up on Norman Allen's ITEM company saga in Knox's book PUSAN TO CHOSIN. Both Allen and Terry were near Taegu when the NKPA pushed hard in mid August. Both love artillery ("100 yards left! Drop 200! Battery 3 rounds HE, 3 rounds WP, fire for effect.") and probably would have a great tablepounding evening if they could get together and share memories.

Nice detailed reference on the battleship Arizona. Detailed history. Very useful collection of pictures. Great reference for modelers.

When the pacage arrived from Amazon, I did realise that it would be such a big book just on one Battleship! The detail for any history buff, model maker is great. A good purchase but you will need a reading table to hold it!

Mr. Stillwell has brought BB-39 to life in a way that hasn't been matched by anyone else who has attempted. His rendering of the life of the ship from her birth in the NY Navy yards to her death in the waters of Pearl Harbor is amazing in its clarity & detail.

OK, some detail might be lacking for the technical buffs but his description of the construction, manning, & day-to-day operation of a US naval vessel in the 1st half of the 20th century is superlative. He blends both the hardware & the human element so that Arizona & her crew leap off the pages as a living, breathing combination of steel & flesh.

Highly recommended for those who are interested in the Arizona herself & for anyone who would like to know many of the hows & whys of US Naval operations between the wars.

PS: Scale modelers invariably recommend "Battleship Arizona" as -the- definitive work to those who are researching details of BB-39 for their own modeling projects.

IN A NUTSHELL: AN ILLUSTRATED READER THAT INCLUDES TECHNICAL APPENDICES

One could say that the above says it all.

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT: THE LIFE & DEATH OF THE ARIZONA AND HER CREWS

In great detail, this book begins as the ship's keel is laid, [16 MARCH 1914] with a picture of FDR who was on hand as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for the ceremony. It ends with the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. Included, after the end of the book, are 5 appendices that include all the information that modelers and naval history enthusiasts will be seeking.

FOR THOSE READERS THAT ARE A LITTLE IMPATIENT - -

The first seven chapters of the book is about the peacetime life aboard one of the U.S. Navy's super-dreadnoughts. It is an interesting and well illustrated historical reader.

This changes abruptly for Chapter 8, "DAY OF INFAMY" which details a basic reconstruction of the morning of December 7, 1941, as it pertains to the Battleship Arizona. Highlighted most of all are the individual acts of heroism and the selflessness of many of the crew in their desperate efforts to save their fellow crewmen, their ship and themselves. Also included is a sketch which illustrates where the damage to the ship occurred, which is a huge aid in understanding what happened so quickly to the Arizona on December 7, 1941. This is short, seemingly all too short, but one must realize that the Arizona's magazines' exploded only about 10 minutes after the attack began. 1177 men of the Arizona's crew were killed in that short time with only 337 survivors, many of whom were on leave so they were not there at the time. In other words, about 85% of the crew on-board were killed in basically ten minutes. Nevertheless, the detail is quite accurate and more importantly, easy to follow and appreciate.

Chapter 9, "AFTERMATH" is pretty gruesome in some places, but this is after all a rather gruesome real life disaster. This chapter does include the attempted salvaging of the Arizona and some stories about the men who remained on board [forever in most cases].

THE APPENDICES: HISTORIAN & MODELERS HEAVEN

- APPENDIX 1 - CHRONOLOGY from 1916 - 1941, 42 pages includes a great deal of day to day missions and events of interest.

- APPENDIX 2 - COMMANDING OFFICERS - DATES INCLUDED

- APPENDIX 3 - CREW LIST - 7 DECEMBER 1941, includes fatalities and survivors separately of both the Navy and Marine Corp. Includes summary at the end.

- APPENDIX 4 - A SAILOR'S LETTERS - SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

- APPENDIX 5 - SHIP'S DATA, include detailed specs with individual breakdown of the weights of different components of the ship [eg. armor, machinery, hull etc.] both originally and after the modernization in 1931.

Within Appendix 5 there are numerous sketches [1:600 scale] which are probably copies of the ships blueprints. These are detailed to show individual compartments and components and are labeled. The alterations that were made to the ship over time have been included. A very important addition.

BOTTOM LINE:

Paul Stillwell and "The Naval Institute Press" have another winner in this volume.

I chose to read The Illustrated History of the Battleship Arizona, written by Paul Stillwell. This is not the first book of this format that he has written The Illustrated History of the Battleship Missouri, follows the same format as well. The book started in the shipyard as the U.S.S. Arizona was being built then the author takes you through the daily routine of the ship as if you were a sailor on the great battleship. You feel as though you're in the middle of Pearl Harbor looking over the Arizona as the battle is taking place. The ship was built in 1918, and was the pride of the Pacific fleet threw out the 20's. The Arizona was featured in a Famous movie called, Here Comes the Navy. After Pearl Harbor the ship was made into a now world famous memorial.

This had been one of the best books I had ever been able to read there is so much information given on this great ship, and the pictures make the ship come alive. I would suggest this book to anyone who has an interest in ships and the way they run, or a fan of history. I have not read any other books that Paul Stillwell has written, but if they are half as good as this one I would recommend it to anyone.

It's a wonderful work. More information you will ever see anywhere. Beautiful and detailed photos that help a lot in identification. I'm enjoying so much reading it.

Like a few other military books Bayonets: An Illustrated History by great author Martin J. Brayley gives us an accurate descritpion and amazing, extensive photographic material to illustrate each and every example.
For collectors and simpatizers alike this is a book worth having in any military collection.

Written by a military photographer of 24 years' experience, Bayonets: An Illustrated History offers an in-depth examination of the role of the bayonet in military conflicts worldwide from 1650 to present. More than 500 photographs enhance Bayonets: An Illustrated History. 300 different types of bayonets are closely scrutinized; almost every photograph features a capsule of notes specific to its topic. The text, while intended more for serious military historian than the lay reader, is highly accessible as it traces the design evolutions and purposes of bayonets as history passed. A welcome contribution to military and weapon history shelves.

Written by a military photographer of 24 years' experience, Bayonets: An Illustrated History offers an in-depth examination of the role of the bayonet in military conflicts worldwide from 1650 to present. More than 500 photographs enhance Bayonets: An Illustrated History. 300 different types of bayonets are closely scrutinized; almost every photograph features a capsule of notes specific to its topic. The text, while intended more for serious military historian than the lay reader, is highly accessible as it traces the design evolutions and purposes of bayonets as history passed. A welcome contribution to military and weapon history shelves.

Photography in this book is excellent and sometimes the visuals are better than the text in aiding identification. The author points out some nuances in transitions that I had not encountered before. I felt it was worth the price and very handy as a quick reference.

This is the story of men who won the Congressional Medal of Honor. If you ever wondered what kind of men they were, this is the book for you. Each man's life is profiled, up to and beyond the event that defined their military life. The book ends with the actual words used when they were presented with the Medal. If you don't shed a few tears while reading this book, you don't have an ounce of patriotism.

I thought it couldn't get better than the Medic who wouldn't bear arms, yet saved over 100 men single handedly in WWII, then I read the stories of ordinary men and real foul ups, who showed moments of profound bravery in the frozen Chosin Reservoir in Korea. I read the story of the longest held prisoner of war in Vietnam, horribly tortured, and of his wife, who led the crusade to finally get the men released. This is just an awesome book. You owe it to yourself and to your children, to read about the kind of people who have upheld this country against those who would destroy us.

The interviews are ace and remarkable in their clarity and insight. These are let down by the lack of context as to the battle within the wider campaign and a map or two would have enabled the reader to see the landscape and the positions, both would have added to the understanding of the action taken by each of the medal winners. Another example is the cover photo, listed as US Army coming ashore on Tinian Island in the Pacific Islands, which is sort of correct but Tinian is one of the northern Mariana islands (next to Sapian which was a major Marine victory) and was the home of the 509th Bomb Group which lead the atomic raids on Japan, a small detail yet one that would context this good book even better.

Beyond Glory is a book full of the memoirs of Veterans. The Veterans are Medal of Honor recipients who are telling their stories from WWII to Vietnam. This is a book for anyone interested in war related things. Since I like that sort of thing, I found this book to be excellent and worthwhile. The genre of this book is Non- fiction since it is real stories from real people. The author, Larry Smith, went to many living recipients and personally interviewed them to get their stories literally in their own words. That is another thing that makes this book so good. He also used great detail and seemed like he was really there telling you the story. I thought this book was excellently written and very interesting. I would rate it 5 stars out of 5 stars. This, in truth, was one of the best books I have ever read and recommend it to everyone, especially if you are a history buff and like to read about War.

The book is wonderful...especially if you want to read about just people who through circumstances become- whether they want to or not---heros.

If you want to see some of these stories brought to life---from now through May 2, 2004 you can see Stephen Lang (Stonewall Jackson "Gods and Generals") portray eight Recipients interviewed for this book at the Women's Armed Forces Memorial at Arlington Cemetery. (go to www.beyondglory.org) You will witness a performance that will leave quite an impression

Larry Smith's book brings you the reality of true heroes in their own words, just ordinary folks doing their jobs. Actor/writer/director Stephen Lang's theatrical production of "Beyond Glory" may bring you to tears as you join these men "just doing their jobs" in a most extraordinary way. Lang's transition from character to character is as fascinating as each character's endearing story. The play is currently running in Arlington, VA, at the Women's Memorial Theater now, but Lang hopes to take it on the road to colleges and community theaters across the country.