Military Books

This is a powerful book that describes what it was like to be a grunt on the front lines of vietnam.

It is unique as it was the first book to discuss the use of dogs to assist in sensing the enemy and their weapons.

This brings you to the front lines for a first hand look while also showing the emotions that are involved.

It gives a look at how the army really works not only in combat but the way the tail to the tooth affects those who are in harms way.

The interaction between men with each other as well as men with their dogs is very emotional. This is as close to combat as a civilian should get.

I highly recommend this book to vets, history buffs, soldier of fortune types, military buffs, and dog lovers.

The author is a certified expert in his subject and has appeared in a TV documentary, with another one scheduled, many radio and tv interviews, a national publication sponsored web chat, many in person talks, and has a movie deal signed.

The book has received excellent reviews from various publications of both dead tree press and cyber types.

If tinseltown doesn't screw around with it, this book will be a great movie. In fact, the book almost sounds like it was adapted from a script ---- a tribute to John Burnam's easy to read writing style.

Buy this book and read it!

John Burnam's "Dog Tags of Courage" is a must read book! It not only chronicles his service to our country but also shows just how these dogs impacted his life and the "approximately 10,000 war dog handlers and 4,000 war dogs" that served during the Vietnam War.

He described the different types of K-9 units used by all branches of the military. John wrote it in simple language that children could read and understand what he was saying. AND yet this book was intense at times.

John wrote that when dog handlers were wounded, killed or returned stateside that the dogs were turned over to new handlers. He explained also that the dogs were left behind when the war ended. Our government felt they were military surplus and expendable just like our men and women in uniform.

John wrote this so children could also read it and learn. One of the nice things I noticed was that he took the time to explain some of the equipment he carried or had to use while in the Army. Although you may see these things in the movies they are never really explained the way John did in his book. For example he explained what came in a box of C-rations as well as the "dark brown plastic bag full of goodies."

He wrote of his own encounters with the enemy and explained various aspects of a battle. John explained how it felt while bombs were being dropped all around his unit. "The aircraft was so close, that we could see the pilot in the cockpit." His writing made you feel like you were there with him.

After he was wounded John was sent to Okinawa where he operated forklifts and trucks until he noticed a "possible opportunity" working with sentry dogs. He was soon assigned to handle Hans. John explained their extensive training for this position. "Sentry dogs were trained that their primary functions were to guard and attack on command." And they were guarding "a stockpile of chemical warfare weapons." John wasn't completely satisfied. He had something calling him back to Vietnam.

He was headed for another infantry position but jumped at the opportunity to work with the dogs and soon was assigned to the 44th Infantry Platoon Scout Dogs. More training was in store for John. Scout "dogs alerted on things like booby traps, VC in foxholes, and even other animals." He was first paired up with Timber who was "high strung, had a mean streak, and didn't like to be disciplined." John and Timber trained on the obstacle course built for the dogs. "Dog training was all about repetition and consistency."

John learned "to keep your eyes on the dog at all times. A dog's natural instinct will tell you what he smells, sees, and hears, and when danger is near." John would have to learn to "translate his dog language into English." When he and Timber were wounded though John recovered quickly "Timber didn't respond to commands....Timber wasn't going to be ready for any missions in the near future....Although he recovered physically, he never fully recovered mentally."

John had to select another dog to work with. "I felt excited the first time I saw this dog, and he took to me as if we'd worked together before....Clipper responded to me as no other dog had." He and Clipper became a team and began training together. Clipper could alert John at least "one hundred yards" from a decoy. John could only imagine how well he would do if the enemy were out there in the bush. "Clipper was like a walking radar beam. I learned to trust him more than my rifle."

John and Clipper were soon out on patrols. Once again there was enemy contact. "Clipper raised his head and alerted up into the trees. I didn't give it a second thought, because there was too much activity all around us." Later when John saw a dead VC "hanging from the tree....I remembered that...this was the tree that Clipper had alerted on....Clipper had sensed danger in that tree and he'd been right."

John "found the scout dog business to be a never-ending learning experience." On yet another patrol Clipper gave several alerts and began a zigzagging motion. Later John would learn that he was deliberately going around tripwires and booby traps. The lieutenant that John and Clipper were leading "knelt and gave Clipper a hug and told him what a great dog he was."

As I read each and every page of this amazing book I could feel the love John had developed for his fellow soldiers and the dogs they each worked with. John knew that his time in Vietnam was coming to a close. By March of 1968 he would be going home. BUT he also knew that Clipper wouldn't be allowed to go with him. His heart began breaking when doctors told him that his knee would have to be operated on again, that he wouldn't be able to see Clipper or work with him any longer.

John's struggle to get back to Clipper became evident. "When Clipper recognized me, he went crazy....Words can't begin to describe the emotions that poured out of me for this dog. He was my best friend." Clipper "was a real American hero, but he'd never get to go home and receive the hero's welcome he deserved." Clipper and other scout dogs weren't allowed back in the US.

I've only scratched the surface of this wonderful book. You need to read it from cover to cover as I did. Be prepared to cry as you read it because it is written that well. My heart goes out to John, the dogs and all the other dog handlers that John introduced in this book. They all did an amazing job.

I've just finished reading this book and I am very impressed with the author's writing style. It is written in a clear, conscise, and understandable language. For those of you who do not know much about war dogs or the Vietnam conflict, please read this book. John Burnam presents his personal account of what it's like to be both a foot soldier as well as a dog handler in Vietnam. After reading this book, I have more respect for Vietnam veterans and a better understanding of what the average foot soldier went through in that war. The book also opened a new door for me in that I learned more about the abilities of dogs. This has increased my general interest as well as my respect for dogs. Read it!!!!

If you're a dog lover, buy this book. If you're interested in learning what it was like being a soldier in Vietnam, buy this book. If you're interested in learning what it was REALLY like being a War Dog handler, buy this book. After I saw the War Dogs documentary on the Discovery Channel a year or two ago, I got interested in Vietnam War Dogs. I finally got this book and found it hard to put down. You really feel how the author felt being in Vietnam. This is one of the best War Dog books out there. It is difficult to describe how great this book is. It's hard to know what it was like to serve in Vietnam unless you had been there. After reading this book, however, we can understand better what these men went through for our country.

This book is a great read for many reasons. The reader is given an introduction to the Vietnam War and the US Army through the eyes of a 19 year-old who has just arrived in Vietnam after basic training. His tour of duty is often humorous with moments of shock and horror mixed in. The descriptions of combat and companionship with the author's scout dog Clipper will set you on a rollar coaster ride of emotions. I guarantee portions of this book will make you cry. Kudos to John Burnam for writing such a fabulous book.

great read with a real look on what happend in the war

5 stars guaranteed

This is a very candidly written and extremely moving account of war from the junior ranks point of veiw. I would recommend this and Mr Bramleys other book 'Two Sides of Hell' very highly

I read the book as soon as it was published. I presume I was one of many hungering for the book as I knew vince bramley personally, although he himself will mostprobably not remeber me.

He was a L/CPL in the trg BN that I did my basic training in, in 1990. I had a face and a voice to go with the book! As a young soldier the book gripped and excited me, it made me fearful and thoughtful.

In hindsight the book was good for me in one way: as a soldier it opened my eyes to the extent that war was not glamourous and very dangerous indeed, through personal experience later in my service I thought back to when I bought the book and my thoughts were: "HOW TRUE".

Excellent book!!

This book had more impact on me than any other battle account I have ever read. It's an account of a vicious fight by soldiers who had the best training but no previous experience of the reality of war. Vince Bramley later wrote a follow-up, '2 Sides of Hell' based on the experience of some of his friends, and some Argentina soldiers who fought against them. I have seen translations of both books in shops in Buenos Aires. Vince Bramley is a guy I'd like to meet.
After reading these books, war fiction books are suddenly much less interesting.

I served with the RAF in the Falklands between 1996-97. During a Sunday afternoon walk to Mt Longdon I met 2 men on electrical contract work for 4 months. One was Vince(nt Bramley) and the other Dom(inic Gray). Having briefly chatted with them they invited me to walk their battle the following Sunday. Wow! What a humbling experience. Only after the end of the walk did he tell me that he had written a (this) book. Reading it again 4 years on it still has the same impact. Vince is an honest and candid man. Having been there, you cannot underestimate the cold, the damp, the barren and harsh terrain, the unforgiving ground and unbelievably,how dark it can become with no light pollution.

The battle itself must have been horrific, let alone the TAB before hand, which in itself was a superhuman effort.

Well done Vince. You have written a frank account of something that (thankfully) most do not have to do. It is a fitting and lasting tribute to your colleagues.

I am not a huge history buff, but I do enjoy learning about the past and the effects on the people of the time. After reading this book, I felt like I was the one who tracked down the facts and met the people in this book. The author did an amazing job describing not only his path to locate facts and data, but the individuals that were affected by this piece of history. It was a great read and I'd recommend anyone who is interested in either WWII, the people of the time or trying to locate a past individual involved in the military to read this book.

On a B-17, Flying Fortress, the hottest hot seat aboard was usually filled by the smallest member of the crew. That would be the ball turret Gunner. On this particular B-17, on his last mission, on February 25, 1944, was a ball turret gunner, Anthony "Tony" Korkuc, who at 27, was the oldest man in the crew of ten. His was the squadron's only plane shot down that day.

He is reported missing in action. It wasn't until 1995 he was reported to be interred in Arlington National Cemetery.

This is the story of Tony Korkuc, as seen through the eyes of his curious nephew, Bob Korkuc who went on a seven year quest to find what happened to Uncle Tony.

The book is a fine blend of World War ll combat in the air, leading up to Tony's death and the education and growth of his nephew, who learned compassion and understanding while interviewing the various survivors of the flight. Both Tony and Bob grew in stature. In a manner Bob finished Tony's last mission.

This search opens a lot of doors to anyone who has lost a service man. There are fewer veterans to interview, but the trail is still inviting, and Bob Korkuc points the way.

Richard N. Larsen
Reviewer

Few books are done this well.

This is an example of superb reporting, the painstaking attention to meticulous detail to create a great story that soars above any slips in writing or inattention in editing.

I've flown in a B-17, roaming from the nose to the waist gun positions. I didn't have the nerve to get into the ball turret or the tail gun position. On the ground, a B-17 looks huge; inside, it's as cramped as a coffin. Unlike a coffin, a B-17 has no smooth edges or soft surfaces; it's as raw an airplane as was ever made.

Crew members must have felt they were on a ducking chair at a county fair, being blasted by unseen shotgunners. There's nowhere to duck, nowhere to hide, nowhere to run for shelter or safety. Korkuc does a great job explaining the nature and nerve of those who did mission after mission.

Thus he describes the raw guts of war. But the gem of his book is his seven-year search through official records and sometimes still shaken memories of airmen and civilians in Germany and the U.S. about the fate of the specific B-17 on which his uncle served and died. This is Ken Burns style of reporting at its very best.

It's a superb story, something almost never seen in today's news reports. It's great history; we already know who won the war, this explains what it took to win. It provides a very human touch to otherwise often impersonal records.

If I were teaching journalism (or history), this book would be mandatory reading. Students would need an "A" to graduate as a reporter or history major. This is as good as it gets, for history or news reporting.

One minor point: If I were editing, I'd want to know how anyone would know a person's final thoughts just moments before death. It's a minor glitch, one I've seen even seasoned journalists make. Nonetheless, Korkuc makes it sound believable because of the detail he gathered.

To sum up, seldom has a better tribute ever been written about the victims of war.

There's a good reason it's received unanimous (as of July 4) reviews -- they are well earned and deserved.

Korkuc tells a beautiful story.

You might read the last chapter of Bob Korkuc's book, Finding a Fallen Hero, and think 'but how does he know? What gives him the right?' The right, that is, to re-create the last day and last minutes of the crew of his uncle's B-17 Flying Fortress, as it goes down in flames over Germany in 1944. But aside from his disclaimer, that this is his own "dramatic portrayal," he has done the work and he has earned the right. Years of exhaustive research, correspondence with surviving crewmembers and their relatives, government records studied, and personal interviews, have brought him as close as anyone could be to the last moments of that plane and that bomber crew. He has taken all the research, all the facts, and masterfully tempered them with poetry . . . his take-off point is a poem written after the war by one of the surviving crew members who was haunted by the deaths of his crewmates. But Korkuc generates his own poetry in his re-creation of the last day. He does it with such sensitivity, such a light touch in the chaos of the plane's final minutes, that if I were a family member of one who died, I believe my overwhelming reaction would be "thank you. . . . thank you for that gift." The research detailed in the twelve chapters that precede that last poetic chapter must have been daunting to do . . . and can sometimes be daunting to read. But Korkuc ties it all together in such a moving way that you can't help but feel the poignancy of those lost lives, and the relevancy to what's happening in the world today.

'Captivating'...'hard to put down'...'thoroughly enjoyable' - all apt descriptors of Bob Korkuc's "Finding a Fallen Hero: The Death of a Ball Turret Gunner". Clocking in a 242 pp. (inclusive of Notes), "Finding a Fallen Hero" is a real page-turner, one easily gotten through even by a slow reader like this reviewer in one sitting. Not only is the story told engagingly (we'll come back to this shortly), but Korkuc is also a talented writer who conveys his prose with an economy of words. Too many historical authors - even some of the better ones - get distracted with side stories and irrelevant facts, not so with Korkuc. It's refreshing to read a book centered on happenings of the Second World War that stays on track and is contained but still grows the reader in having read it.

The basic story told in "Finding a Fallen Hero" is that of Staff Sgt. Anthony (Tony) Joseph Korkuc's (the author's uncle) final flight as a ball turret gunner in a B-17 Flying Fortress (42-37786; unnamed) in the 532nd Bomb Squadron/381st Bomb Group. Tony Korkuc was KIA near Willmandingen, Germany on 25 Feb 1944 while returning from a bombing run to Augsburg, Germany. Although initially buried in Willmandingen, his remains were later relocated to the U.S. Military Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France, and finally interned in a group plot with three other men in Arlington National Cemetery (Virginia). While the story itself is relative straightforward, the path taken by Bob Korkuc to bring his uncle's story to life was far from effortless and took several years of diligent research and some personal discomfort to accomplish. The author's trek to discover the why's and how's surrounding his uncles death and multiple internments began simple enough on a trip to Arlington National Cemetery with his father in 1995 when the latter asked: "I wonder how Tony's remains got from Germany to Arlington?" With this simple question Bob Korkuc embarked on an adventure of investigation and discovery that was to finally bring peace and closure to a long mystery, both for the Korkuc family and possibly the families of the other five men of Staff Sgt. Korkuc's flight who perished that winter day over enemy territory. Thankfully for the reader Bob Korkuc has documented this journey for us to enjoy.

"Finding a Fallen Hero" is much more than a piece of Second World War non-fiction: it's a detective story that reads like an Arthur Conan Doyle novel; a tale of strong brothers-in-arms camaraderie; a story of self- and familial discovery; and a touching account of rememberance and healing of a handful of men who gave much of their youth in defense of their country. Few books this reviewer has read in the WWII genre ever come close to touching so many facets of life then and now. "Finding a Fallen Hero" should appeal to a broad swath of readers, not just those interested in history. Moreover, Korkuc shares with the reader how he went through his process of discovery and exposition in such a way that others can take similar treks if mysteries in need of solving exist in their family histories. Thanks Bob for your insights and thoughtfulness!

In his researching and writing of "Finding a Fallen Hero" Korkuc appears to have found what he was looking for and in doing so has given us insight into his life, his family and glimpses of war in the air over Germany during the Second World War. This reviewer cannot recommend this book highly enough - 5 HUGE stars, two thumbs up.

In early 1942 the Japanese were lords of the Pacific, the Zero the best fighter plane between Tokyo and London and Emperial navy seemingly unstoppable. Lundstrom's story of the first year of the Pacific War and the Navy pilots who first flew from US carriers to blunt the spread of the Empire and take the first steps on the road to victory is by far the best that I have read. As other reviewers have said, Lundstrom's research of the details of the air battles, from both the US and Japanese sides, is unrivaled. His ability to weave these details into a gripping story in which the characters come to life is just as unique. This book and his first volume about Coral Sea and Midway are the kind that you don't want to finish because they are so good.

The bravery of these American flyers comes across well, but so does the the tension (and occasional humor) of this first full year of combat in the Pacific. The F4F-4 Wildcat was a well built, strong plane but could not compete with the Zeke in manuverability or speed. Yet the "First Team" flew their Wildcats from carriers and Guadalcanal's Henderson Field, held their own or better and started the distruction of the Japanese's veteran pilot cadre.

The fact that 10 of 34 pilots from VF-5 (the carrier squadron that flew along side the Marines from Henderson in late summer/early fall '42) were killed or seriously wounded shows that the attrition rate among these pilots was high and points to their bravery and endurance.

Mechanical problems with the F4F-4, bad weather, inhospitable islands, and the endless Pacific Ocean were added to the skilled and agressive opponents to make flying a Navy fighter plane a tough occupation. These flyers were truely a special breed.

You won't find a better told tale of the first year of the Pacific War anywhere. Lundstrom focuses only on the Naval pilots and their battles for more than 500 pages mand it's a tactical story in the truest sense. If you're tired of reading military history that never gets you out of the Admiral's cabin or Washington DC and London, this is for you. "The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign" is a terrific read. Highly recommended.

If you are a casual reader of World War II books, this is NOT the book for you, but if you are a wonk, then you'll love this book and John Lundstrom's companion book which covers the time period of Pearl Harbor to Midway. What sets Lundstrom apart is that he has taken the time to get to know virtually all of the pilots (on both sides) who fought in the Pacific battles in 1942. A theme that runs through both books is that each side had a small fraternity of pilots, and everybody knew each other. These pilots ("The First Team") held the line through the Guadalcanal campaign. Those that replaced them generally did not have the same level of skill.

Lundstrom is good at separating myths from the facts. He must either read Japanese or have a great collaboration with someone who does because his research through Japanese sources is the best that I've seen.

One interesting fact brought to light by Lundstrom: in terms of fighter-to-fighter combat through the Guadalcanal campaign, the A6M Zero and the F4F Wildcat effectively fought to a draw. If you see a reference on the F4F claiming a 5/1 kill ratio or something like that, it is likely based on inflated claims and claims against bombers and seaplanes. The biggest difference between the two types statistically is that a F4F pilot was much more likely to survive the downing of his plane. More of the United State's first team survived to fight again and to train other pilots to fight.

Japan made a mistake in trying to achieve air superiority over Guadalcanal from Rabaul, which is over 500 miles away. Just because the Model 21 Zero could fly that far and fight doesn't mean that it was a good idea to make it a regular practice. The distance was a big factor in the pilot attrition that eventually crippled the Japanese Naval Air Force.

I have no idea how many hours John Lundstrom put in to writing each of these books. I do know that the hours you spend reading them (and in my case re-reading them) will be well-spent.

An excellent follow-up to the "First team". Written in the same style as his previous work, this is the only book you need if you are interested in Santa Cruz, Eastern Solomons and day-to-day operations on Guadalcanal.
It is well known the Japanese were hard pressed to provide enough quantities of aircraft and qualified pilots even before the Midway operation. But Lundstrom shows just how critical this same situation was for the US during the Solomons campaign.
What is surprising is what a poor job Japanese fighter pilots did in protecting the bombers they were assigned to escort. Had they done a better job this campaign could have been much more costly for the US.

Although this book concentrates on U.S. Navy fighter combat during the first four months of the Guadalcanal campaign, it gives so many details of associated events that it should be read by anyone interested in the entire Guadalcanal campaign itself. This book also does a great job of giving details of the Japanese side, even to the point of naming most of the individual Japanese pilots involved in combat with the U.S. Navy and Marines around Guadalcanal. The only criticism (and this is slight criticism) I have of this book is Lundstrom's strong defence, for whatever reason, of Fletcher's actions during the initial part of the campaign which have been heavily criticized by just about every other historian. But, I guess it stands to reason that at least one credible historian would find a reason to defend Fletcher.

Anyway, if I were to name the top three books about the Guadalcanal campaign, this would be one of them along with Richard Frank's "Guadalcanal, the Definitive Account" and Michael Smith's "Bloody Ridge."

The First Team - Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway
and
The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign
John B. Lundstrom
Naval Institute Press


I have been studying naval aviation combat since the early 1960s, and I have never come across a book half so comprehensive, from a historical basis - nor half so useful, from a modeling perspective - as this two-volume set recently reprinted by the Naval Institute Press. The title - "The First Team" - refers to US Naval Aviator fighter pilots who were in service at the start of World War II; a convenient way of focusing on naval fighter combat from December 7, 1941 to the end of the Guadalcanal campaign in early February, 1943. This was a time when the F4F Wildcat bore the brunt of the aerial warfare - a few F2A Buffalo fighters served in the Navy during this time-frame, but the only Buffalos that saw combat were serving with the Marines (who are outside the scope of this two-volume study).

This book covers literally every incident of aerial combat that included US Navy fighter aircraft from December 7 through the end of Guadalcanal. I mean EVERY incident, every American shoot-down (and every American shot down) and every American carrier attack on a Japanese island target fought during the first 14 months of the war in the Pacific: the Wake relief force, the Gilbert, Marshall and Marcus Island raids, the assault on Rabaul, and the attacks on Tulagi, Lae and Salamaua - and of course, Guadalcanal. The books also cover every carrier vs. carrier battle that was fought in the Pacific before 1944: Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz. In short, The First Team two-volume book is incredibly comprehensive. Maps and charts illustrate each battle, each significant combat incident, each movement of carriers and air groups - the detail is remarkable. Author John Lundstrom makes these battles come alive in ways that no other history I've read have been able to accomplish. But for all their value as pure history, these books go way beyond that.

For instance, The First Team covers combat tactics - the prime reason why the vastly-inferior F4F-4 Wildcat was able to best the incredible Japanese Zero in almost every encounter (including decisive victories at Midway and Guadalcanal). Pre-war, the US Naval air service - alone among the world's air forces - trained its pilots to successfully use deflection shooting, permitting pilots to attack from beam positions, instead of just from directly astern. To perform a deflection-shooting attack successfully, the pilot couldn't aim at the target; instead, he had to aim for where the plane would be when the bullets arrived.

Deflection shooting is a kind of lead-the-target targeting performed by duck hunters and skeet shooters; a process vastly complicated in aerial combat because both the attacker and the target are moving at several hundred miles per hour, generally in different planes. However, when successfully executed, deflection attacks are almost unbeatable. This kind of deflection shooting permitted American Naval fighter pilots to attack the enemy with limited risk of counter-battery fighter from defending aircraft. Deflection attacks were decisive in attacks on bomber aircraft, but this approach also gave U.S. Naval aviators a significant advantage over the more maneuverable and - at most altitudes - faster Japanese fighters.

Other tactical elements explored in great detail were the comparative tactical formations - American transition from four-aircraft divisions to two-aircraft divisions while the Japanese held onto the far more awkward and inflexible three-plane formations - as well as the evolution of the "Thatch Weave," a mutually-supportive defensive formation the Japanese were never able to effectively counter.

The First Team also looks - in depth - at the training of Japanese and US Naval aviators. In 1941, Japanese naval aviators were, man-for-may, the best-trained pilots in the world, yet thanks to different tactical approaches, they were consistently outfought, first by well-trained US Naval Aviators and later even by grass-green Ensigns not long out of advanced training programs. Training and organization were critical - Japanese were taught to move in units of three aircraft, and to take advantage of their aircraft's incredible maneuverability.

American Naval Aviators were trained in deflection gunnery, in pilot-wingman cooperation and in emphasizing mutually-supporting defensive tactics culminating in the unbeatable Thatch Weave - which remarkably was under development before the outbreak of the war, though "conventional wisdom" has held that Commander John "Jimmy" Thatch developed the mutual-support tactics in response to initial combat with the Japanese.

Another factor that The First Team explored which worked against the Japanese was the very different organizational structure of the two countries' carrier air groups. In the US Navy, carrier air groups were fungible organizations - new squadrons and new pilots could be shuffled through the air groups, and these groups could be shuffled from carrier to carrier as needed. By contrast, Japanese carrier air groups trained as a unit, and were permanently assigned to a specific aircraft carrier.

When a Japanese group suffered significant combat casualties, not only were the individual squadrons no longer combat-capable, but the carrier itself was out of the battle. As a result, after the bloody draw at Coral Sea, surviving Naval aviators from the sunken Lexington were able to go back into combat onboard the Yorktown at Midway - less than a month later - effectively replacing losses the Yorktowners suffered at Coral Sea with combat-tested pilots. Even though the Yorktown had been badly damaged, it was patched together and able to field a combat-ready air group that proved decisive at Midway less than a month later.

However, as explained in The First Team's assessment of Japan's carrier air group organization, the Zuikaku - which, unlike the surviving Yorktown, was undamaged but which also suffered heavy pilot losses - was unable to serve at Midway because the Zuikaku's carrier air group had been decimated, and a carrier without an air group is little more than a target. Although sufficient combat-experienced pilots from the heavily-damaged Shokaku had survived and were at least technically available, because of a long-standing organizational policy, the Japanese were unable to restore the Zuikaku's group.

Instead, both air groups had to be restored to full combat capability only after receiving infusions of trainees, which required a long work-up period. The Yorktown's presence at Midway was decisive; the absence of Zuikaku was at least potentially just as decisive. Had two Japanese carriers - Zuikaku and Hiryu - survived the first devastating US Naval attack, their return strike may have done more than just knock out the Yorktown.

The books even get into fascinating controversies, such as the odd decision to put six .50 caliber machine guns into the Navy's new folding-wing F4Fs, even though they'd add a further weight penalty that would - along with the weight of the wing-fold mechanism -cripple the Wildcat's climb, range and overall combat capabilities. The early-war fixed-wing F4F-3 carried four .50 caliber machine guns - which US Navy fighter leaders felt was sufficient to knock down unarmored Japanese bombers and fighters. However, the fixed wing took up deck and hanger space and sharply limited the number of fighters a carrier could handle. With fighter squadrons growing from 18 to 27 to 36 aircraft, the need for folding wings was essential, even though the weight penalty imposed by the folding mechanism would inevitably degrade performance.

The initial decision to go with six .50 caliber guns in a folding-wing Wildcat was made by the British Fleet Air Arm, which did not routinely face fighter-to-fighter combat - minimizing the need for high-end performance - yet rightly felt it needed the heavier firepower inherent in six .50 calibers to swiftly knock down armored and well-armed German and Italian bombers. Oddly, instead of listening to their own fighter leaders, the US Navy's "Brass Hats" listened to the Brits, and decided - in the name of production efficiency - to standardize on the British design.

The result was the F4F-4 - a sluggish, slow-climbing short-range fighter which had six .50 caliber machine guns but fewer total rounds of ammo (and, therefore, a much shorter firing time) than the older F4F-3. This plane had a harder time climbing to a decisive altitude. It had difficulty conducting CAPs of more than a couple of hours or escorting bombers farther than 175 miles; and when it did find targets, this new Wildcat all-too-quickly ran out of ammunition. When front-line Naval Aviators complained about being asked to fight what was arguably the best carrier planes in the world with an increasingly second-string fighter plane, the Navy Brass in Washington told these front-line troops to fly their Wildcats with a 2/3rds fuel load and two unloaded guns - absurd advice to pilots who knew they needed every bullet and every gallon of gas every time they went head-to-head in combat with the best-trained naval aviators in the world, the Japanese.

These limiting factors for the new F4F clearly had an impact in the loss of the Yorktown at Midway, as well as the loss of so many torpedo planes at that same battle - and these F4F deficiencies may have also contributed to the loss of the Hornet at the Battle of Santa Cruz four months later. Nobody from the greenest Naval Aviation Ensign all the way up to Admiral Chester Nimitz had a good thing to say about the F4F-4 - but it was only after the end of the Guadalcanal campaign that the General Motors-built FM-1 reverted to a four-gun armament - too late to face down the Japanese.

Yet remarkably, the US Navy seldom fought the Japanese head-to-head without coming out on the winning end. Ultimately, the Wildcat scored a three-to-one winning margin over the Japanese - not because the Wildcat was a better fighter aircraft, though it did have some advantages, but because American Naval Aviators had better tactics, from the two-plane division to the Thatch Weave.

As noted, while it had dramatically shorter range, at least a marginally lower speed at most altitudes - and it was far less maneuverable than the Zero - the Wildcat that fought the Japanese from December 7, 1941 to February, 1943 did have some significant advantages over its adversary. The Grumman was solidly built - earning for its manufacturer the affectionate nickname "Grumman Iron Works." The Grumman fighter was also well-armored (at least where it counted), and - early in the war - it began to receive functional self-sealing fuel tanks that would absorb a 7.7 millimeter (.30 caliber) Japanese machine-gun bullet.

While it was slow to climb, the Wildcat could dive like a bat out of hell - given enough altitude, American Naval Aviators could always break off combat with Japanese Zeros - and given an initial altitude advantage (hard to come by, but not impossible to achieve), the Wildcat could initiate combat - attack Zeros and other Japanese aircraft - with no recourse by the Japanese. They couldn't escape a diving Wildcat; they could turn and fight, but couldn't run away.

Further, in a head-to-head attack, the Wildcat's rugged structure and .50 caliber armament (either four-gun or six-gun) easily outmatched their Japanese adversaries. The Japanese Zero's 20 mm cannons were low-velocity weapons useful only at short range; the longer-ranged Japanese 7.7 mm (.30 caliber) machine guns had too little hitting power to ensure a quick victory over the Wildcat. On the other hand, the standard American .50 caliber Browning heavy machine guns were fast-firing, long-ranged and hard-hitting enough to knock down any Japanese fighter - or bomber - they could hit.

All of these factors were covered in fascinating detail in The First Team, making them a feast of information, insight and factual data for the historian - and the history buff.

Beyond that, the two "First Team" volumes also offer a great deal to modelers. Each book is heavily illustrated with contemporary photos which show evolving markings on US Navy fighters. Not a few of these photos will also offer modelers display and deck-handling diorama ideas.

In addition, Appendix 3 of The First Team and Appendix 4 of The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign each features side-view profiles of F4F fighters in use during the time periods covered by the books. Together, these let modelers authoritatively paint-and-mark virtually any F4F that fought off one of the USN fleet carriers during the first year of the war - including carrier-based planes that temporarily served on Guadalcanal. With the recent spate of new F4F Wildcat releases in 1/32nd scale (including the soon-to-be-here Trumpeter Wildcat), this kind of reference will prove invaluable to modelers.

Bottom line: These two books are remarkable. For those interested in carrier-based fighter combat during the dark early days of World War II in the Pacific, these are "must-reads." The books have been released in Trade Paperback format by the US Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland - it's also available from Amazon.com.

Great book on the Marine Corps. This book is on the required reading list for active duty Marines. The author reviews a number of Marine Corps "touch stone" battles from all conflicts and wars. If you read one book about Marine Corps history this should be it.

Simple, this was stellar. Perfect condition, AMAZING read!! Gets to the "nitty-gritty" of the Corps.

This is an excellent book written by Gen Krulak. It gives an inside/personal look at Marine Corps history that many historians don't have access to. The main focus throughout the book is how the Marine Corps has dodged the "chopping block" many times prior and the authors point of view of why the USMC is so important to national security.

I love this book. When it first came out, I passed it by in the book stores, thinking it was just another compilation of sea stories, but man as I ever wrong.

I had the pleasure of serving under Capt. Charles Krulak, who eventually became Commandant, for a brief period of time and I used to work with a man who was "Brute" Krulak's personal chef, so the name was not entirely new to me.

After having served four years in the Corps, including an abbreviated tour in Vietnam, I knew how the Corps was, but I had no idea how it really came to be the institution that it is, except of course, for the tales of glory I heard in Boot Camp.

Anyone who has ever served in the Corps should read this book. Anyone who is thinking of joining the Corps should read this book. In fact, anyone who has any connection at all with anyone who has any connection at all with anyone who is in any way connected to the Marine Corps should read this book.

Excellent book that narrates about what is rarely narrated about: How the Marine Corps had to fight government bureaucracy to survive. A very different perspective on the USMC's history. A true underdog/dark horse -type story. Very little about the wars fought, but about the intra-government conspiracies and maneuverings to neuter, eradicate, and destroy the USMC. It shows how the USMC had to do more with less and still excel. This one has a happy ending and a fortunate one for us all in the USA.

My Dad was a POW in Stalag 17 during the same period of time as Handy. Dad had a hard time of it and it really was difficult for him to talk much about it. I now know that it would have been much better for him, and us, if he had been able to talk about it. He died in 2004.

Many of the things he did tell me in bits and pieces over the years about his experiences Handy described also. The Kregie who killed imself by deliberately crossing over 'the wire', the tunneling efforts, the dirt in the rafters, the sawdust bread, the interrogations, solitary, the bunks, the cold, the hunger, the frightened guards, the end in the forest. Lot and lots of pieces of the puzzle.

Dad was a most devout Catholic and, as it turned out, the only prisoner in camp who had been trained to be an Altar Boy. He gave lessions in Latin to train many other prisoners who were 'getting religion' in those desperate times. Dad described the Christams Mass in great detail, and it was striking to read Handy's account of that sermon. It was erie to read Handy's account of it all and how identical it was to Dad's. It was a very uplifting sermon that Dad and Handy never forgot.

My Mother told me about this book and I ordered it immediatly from Amazon and couldn't put it down until I had read all the way through. It was as if Dad was sitting in the room and describing the whole horror, step by step, and in chronological sequence for the first time which enabled me to put it all together for the first time. Now I have an even deeper understanding and appreciation for what Dad had endured, and how tragic his ongoing suffering had been, what it meant for his life, how much he had sacrificed, not only for those 16 months as a POW - but throughout the remainder of his life. I also got some insights regarding how it impacted mine life and my family's. I wish Dad could have read it him self 50 years ago. Thanks, Ned for getting it out for all of us to understand.

If you have any POWs in your immediate family, especially if that POW is or was your father - or you were a POW and you have children, I would say that this is required reading.

Loved this book. It grabbed my attention from the very start and never let it drift...housework and commitments be damned! Knowing it was a true story made it all the more gripping. I highly recommend it.

One of the heroes in this book, Gene Meese, is a friend of mine. He no longer talks much about his war experiences but he does say that Ned Handy tells the story with great accuracy. Oh, sure, much was omitted -- some of it quite bad -- but the core and substance is there and treated well.

Knowing Gene and reading the book deepened my appreciation for all the terror our troops, past and present, have endured for our country.

I am a WWII buff as I know had it not been for those who served we would not be here. So reading and appreciating those sacrifices is paramount to me.
I found this book "disturbing" (in a good way) in that the book literally took the reader inside the walls of Stalag 17.
It was a fearful experience and filled me with dread and agony for those who lived through that experience.
Some of the material mirrows what the movie "Stalag 17" depicted but certainly not with the Hollywood context of stalag life.
Ned Handy is one of countless heros who served all of us. God bless them, each and every one.
This is a book to cherish and help us understand the horror of war and the sacrifices of so many.

It is not hyperbole to say that The Flame Keepers is an excellent, well-paced book that will captivate readers of all ages and backgrounds - from teens to seasoned citizens. Not only about World War II, or even strictly a "war story," the book covers the effects on human behavior of war, imprisonment and defiance of one's enemies -- all well beyond the armored battles that raged.

Author and protagonist Ned Handy tells the unvarnished story through his eyes of a network of men and comrades-at-arms whose sudden imprisonment brought out their individual and collective ingenuity, bravery, stamina and perseverance in ways they could not have imagined. These qualities possessed by so many "ordinary" sergeants came to the fore when they faced the stark choice of surviving or giving up behind a wire, while watched by armed guards, deep in enemy territory, and in spite of brutal weather and a starvation diet. The incredible story of a brash and brilliantly conceived escape attempt from Stalag Luft XVII-B plays a major part in the narrative, and it is spell-binding.

Mr. Handy employs simple but eloquent language that takes the reader on a hard-to-put-down journey through five seasons in the life of a 21-year-old B-24 flight engineer and top turret gunner, who survives a shoot-down only to be imprisoned in infamous Stalag XVII-B. Events inside Stalag 17 are interwoven with interesting vignettes that bring to life Mr. Handy's memories of home, family and early life, which inform his ability to survive the prison ordeal. He ascribes well-deserved credit to his colleagues, from his crewmates to POWs with whom he lived in extremely close quarters for more than a year. He describes how each POW used the talents he had to their utmost, such that they were able to survive, defy the enemy at times, and create a vital internal safety net for their fellows when it mattered most. For a man imprisoned and isolated for a time due to circumstances that are movingly presented in the text, Mr. Handy presents a fair-minded view of the individual human beings behind the generic descriptors, "soldier," "prisoner," "enemy," "guard," and "civilian."

It is easy to get "lost" while reading this book, and is a challenge to return, during the intervals one puts it down, to the regular and occasionally mundane tasks of everyday living. For it is the ability to do these tasks, and to take advantage of all the small and large freedoms we have today, that was denied the prisoners of war like Mr. Handy and those whom he describes so vividly. And although the author doesn't indulge in self-praise, the reader cannot help but thank God for stalwart men like Mr. Handy and his comrades, who sacrificed so much for the liberty and prosperity we all enjoy today. It's a must-read for all ages.

The human fleets have signed an peace throaty with the cats but has the war really ended? As Jason "Bear" Bodevsy and Ian "Iceman" Hunter face against time to discover the earth's time may have just run out.

Wonderful book I liked the imagery and to find a book that does not strictly go by the plot that the game set out.

What is it about this book that makes you read it over and over. Well the action,humour, a little romance, and the emotion combined with a desperate battle for survival make this book a worth while read. If they only made them like this.

The best of the Wing Commander books. Emotional and exciting, two qualities that i find are missing from books based on previeously created series, like Star Trek or Star Wars. Hunter's death moved me to the point of tears. It didn't take me there entirely but when Admiral Tolwyn cried when they found his nephew, that part drives me over the edge every time I read it. The decriptions of the Battle of Earth are absolutely perfect. Especially when Mike Powolski rams the Kilrathi super carrier with his destroyer. When I read that to my girlfriend, she started sobbing. I recomend this book to anyone who likes a good read. The next Wing Commander movie should be based on this book.

An excellent book providing the reading with non-stop action. This book will keep you on the edge of you seat with surprises around every turn. You will not be sorry that you bought it.

When I read Fleet Action a few months ago I was relatively new to Wing Commander, having only been familiar with WCIII and WCIV and Colonel Christopher Blair. I wasn't too sure I'd like this Jason Bondarevsky guy since I was used to Blair. But I found this book to be one of the best in the series, sticking close to real military facts yet maintaining that brand of science-fiction. And there were some familiar characters from the game like Thrakhath, Tolwyn, and Paladin, so I wasn't totally lost within all these new guys. But in conclusion Fleet Action had all of the action, suspense, drama, etc. I'd expect with the Wing Commander series.

A unique blend of introspection,philosophy, WWII adventure, and aviation.

In this autobiogrpahical tale, Antoine de Saint-Exupery ruminates at length upon the situation of men within mankind, France's gallant but failing war effort, and the general context of a life lived meaningfully. He includes relationship to God. He provides specific illustrations within the context of his occupation as a pilot in the French air corps. AND . . . incredibly, he narrates most of this story while at the controls of a French military reconnaisance aircraft on a seemingly hopeless mission to Arras and back.

As St-Ex is wont to do, he flits back and forth between his reflections on life, and the current situation piloting the aircraft. The effect in fascinating, dealing with his inner thoughts while on this hopeless mission, for example describing his feeling of old age as he starves for oxygen at high altitude, fighting against his frozen controls. There is tense combat, described at one point as, flying into a "wall of brass".

On a few occasions the heavy introspection came close to losing me. I suspect that the translation from the French contributed to this, although the Lewis Galantiere translation that I read was generally nicely done.

Great writing . . . adventure . . . thoughtfulness . . . history. Does he make it back to home base? I won't ruin it for you. His writing indicates that in a way, he "found himself" while on this sortie. I will add that, as recorded in history, Saint-Exupery died when his P-38 reconnaisance plane went down in 1943, returning from a mission.

How can an author do better than "The Little Prince"? He can't. And once the dull reader--myself--accepts that, Saint-Exupery's other wonderful books become what they are meant to be: special gifts from a memorable writer.
Read "Flight to Arras" to learn about the nature of warfare, the nature of defeat and, in the midst of all this overwhelming distress, the importance of the individual.

It took more than one try for me to really get into Flight to Arras. Saint-Exupery is not the easiest of writers to follow, despite a superb writing style, because of being so deep into philosophy. And, once I did finally reach the point of being ready for this book, I was astounded. Absolutely! As always, St-Exupery taught me So Much.


To anyone who likes Saint-Exupery and wants to read this, I would say: Go for it. Don't force yourself through it, though. Wait until you're really at the place where this book will take to you, on its own.

In this autobiographical story, Saint-Ex tells of the already lost battle he found himself in during 1940 in desperate, war-torn France. He and his crew get sent on a hopeless reconnoissance flight mission over the burning City of Arras. Faced with almost certain imminent death, he is brought to the point of where he can't help but ask himself: "Where's the sense in all this? What am I doing? Why am I doing this?" And as we live through the harrowing experience with him, he lets us see into his heart and mind as he tries to find some answers.. What he comes up with is defined by solid thought resulting from acute observation (Metaphysics my foot!) of man and mankind, certainly more poignant now than ever and therefore surely timeless... And since it's Saint-Ex who relates all this in his unique humble-but-not-so-humble and profoundly human style, this is not only an exciting read about a dangerous time, but it is infused with charme and humour like some superb wine with its unique flavour and aroma. A great little book by a great man.

the book is st.-ex's thoughts and reflections as he flies a suicide recon mission during WW2. it is not an action novel, but does have some exiting parts to it. it is a thoughtful look at life. the book is not just an interesting look into the mind of someone on a doomed mission, but is motivating, thougth provoking and insightful, and has some great lines to live by. i liked it better than his other book wind, sand and stars, and my copy is all marked up and highlighted and i refer back to it often. i would reccommend this book without hesitation.

A very important insight into the life of a soldier in WW2. Lieutenant Edlin saw and lived to tell about some absolutely amazing things. From being wounded twice on D-day to accepting the surrender of the Graf Spee battery, Lt. Edlin's story keeps you riveted!

Marc Maxwell, AUG 26, 2001, Ranger GOD: Robert Edlin This is one of the finest books I have ever read. Mr. (Ranger) Robert Edlin's story is one of true heroics. This personal account of D-Day and WWII through the eyes of a well decorated 2nd Battalion Army Ranger is one that should be read by any one that wants to know what it means to be a Ranger and how these men fought with strength and nerve through one of America's defining wars. Mr. Edlin, is what all Ranger's aspire to be and along with the men and women of this era, they are what America should love. RLTW

I recently had the honor of meeting Lt Edlin at a show in Orlando. He and the other 2nd Rangers that attended were complete gentleman who answered all questions about there heroic exploits in the ETO. I honestly was in awe of these living legends and feel very fortunate to have met them. I really enjoyed my conversations withem all especially "Halftrack" Burmaster. I am a living historian(reanactor) and perhaps am a bit biased towards these men. To actually have met them and realized they really were/are just "ordianary" American citizens who gave all was incredible. I think this book will appeal to all on many levels. Written from the platoon/squad level point of view makes this interesting, in the trench's reading. I especially liked the detailed "appendix" near end of book that describes in detail the basic element of WW2 Ranger life. I really enjoyed the account of the bloody Hill 400 battle right before the Bulge exploded that goes little noticed in many books, The Rangers slugging it out with top notch German paratroopers and coming out on top. If the movie Saving Private Ryan sparked your interest in the WW2 Rangers then this book is a must read. This book has inspired me on many differant levels and I look forward to the day I can get to meet these hero's again.

Reviewer, Gordon E Mercer Ph.D. Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs and Director of the Public Policy Institute, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina I couldn't put it down! Have you ever heard of someone turning down the Congressional Medal of Honor? This is exactly what Bob Edlin did during WWII after it was explained to him that accepting the honor would mean he would have to leave his unit and return home. As the war progresses, Lt. Edlin's small unit of four is assigned to gather intelligence on the Graff Spree Battery on the Brest peninsula, a major German Fort of strategic importance to the Germans. The Fort needed to be taken since the guns from the Fort could fire in any direction with devestating consequences. How does Lt. Edlin lead a small unit to capture over 850 Germans? Lt. Edlins unit of four reached the area of Graff Spree Batery and.......well, the rest as they say is history! It is also an exciting story about a real American hero! Bob Edlin earned his nickname "Fool Lieutenant" for daring, courage and risk taking. One cannot fail to notice however Edlin's voice of reason and hope throughout WWII as well. He saves the lives of men, gets mine blasted in the process and then proceeds to break orders by leaving the hospital early. This is a story of greatness and courage while victory and defeat hang in the balance. Edlin continues his fight for freedom on the home front when the war ends and he returns to civilian life. Captain Edlin, now in the Reserve, tries to integrate the Army Reserve and is fought up and down the line by bureaucracy and high ranking officers. Throughout the book you will read about raw courage! The author's Marcia Moen and Margo Heinen are to be commended for telling this story. They did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of Bob Edlin! It is only a matter of time before this book is made into a movie and in reading this book as a Professor, I think you are probably reading a book that is headed for a major movie!

If you like personal narratives of life in front line combat, you should read "The Fool Lieutenant," the story of Bob Edlin vs the Germany Army. I have read a dozen or more, but this one is something special. In the first place, this guy really had some adventures - some funny some hair-raising. One reason it's special to me is that I served with Bob for 18 months in the 112th Regiment. But he was in a hurry to get into combat and so he volunteered for the Rangers - and became a legend. I hope you read this excellent account of Bob's story, told in his special straight-talking style, and I hope he sells a million copies. Anybody who would turn down the Medal of Honor (because if he accepted it, he would have to leave his Ranger comrades and return to the States) deserves to have his story known after all these years.

He also tells of his life before and after the war, which adds interest to his combat story.

History that reads like a novel. The other reviewers said just about everything else.

This book follows the exploits of the Balao class submarine USS Archerfish (SS-311). Launched in May, 1943, Archerfish's first year of service in the Pacific was lackluster, with two skippers and only 2 sinkings to her credit. Her next skipper had earlier lost his confidence when in command of USS Dace after missing the Japanese carrier Shokaku, and had asked to be relieved of command. Archerfish was Joseph Enright's second chance. Initially Archerfish draws "lifeguard duty" for B-29 raids south of Tokyo Bay. After being released from this duty, the submarine was patrolling near Tokyo when it picked up an uncharted island on radar. Shortly it was determined that the "island" was moving. Closing in for a look, Enright ran the submarine parallel to the large, indistinct target. They determined that it was an aircraft carrier, and slowly outrunning Archerfish. Just as they were losing the race, the target turned to the west, heading directly for Archerfish. Enright submerged the boat, and continued periscope observations, plotting course and speed. Although he could not identify the type of aircraft carrier, he did draw a sketch on paper of the target. As shooting time was near, one of the escort destroyers passed directly over Archerfish, and as soon as she passed, Enright came to periscope depth and fired six torpedoes. The crew heard them strike the target, and believed they heard breaking up of the target. Initially Archerfish was given credit for sinking a 28,000 ton Hayataka class carrier. After the war, it was found to be the 72,000 ton Japanese supercarrier Shinano, built in secret on a battleship hull, and as big as a postwar Forrestal class supercarrier. It remains to this day the single largest warship sunk by a submarine.

One of the authors (Henry) served on board the Archerfish in the early 1950's, and he describes the postwar exploits. After the war the submarine was inactivated in 1946, and with the Korean War and the Cold War was reactivated in 1952. The submarine was not modernized to Guppy configuration, but rather retained her original fleet boat look. She participated in a number of operations, including making movies (Operation Petticoat), testing early SubRoc, and acting as a diving bell target in rescue simulations. The most unusual operation commenced in 1960, in which an "all-bachelor" crew was selected for an around the world cruise, termed "Sea Scan". The story was that she would make a complete hydrological and meteorological survey during the cruise, and she was loaded with impressive racks of equipment. In fact, her true mission was to submerge every 60 miles to provide a stable platform for extremely sophisticated gravimetric measurements under the oceans. Early missile launches were straying from their tracks due to fluctuations in the Earth's gravitational field. These sensitive measurements, which mapped small variations in the Earth's gravitational field, were essential for accurate ICBM targeting. To prepare Archerfish for the cruise, she was sent to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Because of the cover story and the very limited number of "need to know" personnel, the Navy Yard assigned little priority to outfitting the submarine for the hydrographic science mission. In order to prepare their ship, the crew engages in "creative requisitioning" that is reminiscent of the better episodes of "McHale's Navy" and "MASH". We the get to follow the crew on a series of adventures and mishaps as they make their way around the globe, disguised as an aging submarine with a randy bachelor crew and a mission that no one would want. Eventually, Sea Scan takes until 1967 to complete all phases, and shortly after that, at the end of 1968, USS Snook (SSN-592) sinks Archerfish in a torpedo exercise off of San Diego. Many books focus on the exciting SSN operations during the Cold War. This book is a look at the DBF part of the Cold War, when even second line fleet submarines had their role to play. I highly recommend!

I picked this book up figuring it would be another WW11 account of a submarines' exploits then on seeing the jacket I had to find out what this sub did.......I laughed and felt fear, I felt sorrow at the parts where members of the crew left.....I can only imagine what it was like from the fires to the storms to the beauty that was there both in nature and in the closeness that was her crew...few are that fortunate to actually belong to a group of men that are all like brothers....and feel that their "boat" was in fact a living being...it must've been some ride.........

Gallant Lady traces the history of a remarkable "boat" from its WWII pinnacle with the sinking of Japanese super-carrier Shinano to the final Cold War missi