Military Books

Having served in SAC and extensively envolved with the B-47; I found this book offering to be one of the more comprehensive and technical books being offered that the average aircraft buff or technician would appreciate. Look at it in stages and you will be amazed at how technical an aircraft the B-47 was - it will delight you with new information at every reading. I highly recommend this book to one and all - good job Mr. Lloyd!

What a thrill to find this thorough study of the best aircraft I ever flew! I'm amazed at the depth of the research Mr.Lloyd must had at his diposal in order to come up with this excellent presentation on the B/RB 47. Of course, as an A/C in the 90th SRW in SAC, I prefer the "RB." That additional 32.5 inches added to the nose, that accommodated our forward oblique camera, made it a "prettier" design. I found only one tiny error and two possible omissions. The lightning flash on the vertical stabilizer (Pg 106) in the 319th Sqdn. was Red, not Blue. Blue was for the 320th and Yellow was for the 321st. But who cares at this distance. He made no mention of the bird's tendency to "porpoise" on the REALLY bad landing. It could generate the mother of all "PIO's" (Pilot Induced Oscillations); to the extend that it would shed all six engines. The other important feature of it's thin flexible wing was it's behavior at high speed (450+ knots). The wing would twist when down aileron was applied which forced the wing leading edge down resulting in an aileron reversal. This characteristic caused the loss on one aircraft in my squadron.
Nevertheless, for any of the Cold War folks still around this is a book that belongs in your library. For any students of Aviation history, The 35 degree swept wing (that we copied from the Germans), and the podded engines were first used in this design and can still be seen today at your local airport. The B/RB 47 was the grandaddy of them all.

Speciality Press have done it again - Al Lloyd did a great job researching on a great 1950' bomber. Particular sharp and crisp b&w photography all over. (a few color pages complement the volume) This book is a pleasure to read, especially the prototype stories. This looks looks to me like the definite volume on one very important aircraft (not only bomber) designs (swept wings, podded engines..)after WW2. Definitely recommended.

The author of this book has managed to find a lot of great photos of various B-47s in different configurations. It's a nice large format book with high-quality printing. Definitely worth getting if you are interested in this aircraft.

When I was a young Second LT back in the mid-60's, I was assigned to Davis-Monthan AFB. Besides SAC and TAC operations , D-M was the site of MASDC (now AMARC) ,AKA the "Boneyard". Back then,nearly 5,000 airplanes were stored there. Every morning, from my apartment, I would look out over 1500 B-47's lined up in rows, gleaming in the morning sun. I often wondered where they had come from and what their various stories were.

By 1969, the "Great Silver Fleet"(as it were) of B-47's was largely gonefrom the Arizona landscape - cut up and melted down on site (this was before EPA forbade such things) and the scrap sold. Only two were left on base by 1970, and others were scattered around the US in museums. I hoped then that someday I would see a good reference text, memorializing and defining the service of this Proud silver bird. Alwyn Lloyd had done just that.

The B-47 has been out of the USAF Inventory for nearly 40 years now, and has been largely forgotten by today's crop of kids,who prefer to see yet another book on the F-15, F-16, F-18. etc. It's a shame , because the 47 was a precedent-breaking and trend setting machine, whose lines can still be seen in many products of the Boeing Company and others.

While it wasn't the sleekest of the four machines in the 1945 Jet Bomber competition (the Convair XB-46 holds that distinction), it certainly had the greatest range,payload and development potential of the four Contenders (XB-45,XB-46,XB-47,XB-48). We'll never see 2,000 unit production runs for a U.S.Bomber again, nor see the number of conversions that the 47 underwent during its 15 year operational life. Alwyn Lloyd does a marvelous job of bringing the varied history of the Aircraft back to life. Earlier works, such as Lindsey Peacock's 1987 opus on the 47, were handicapped by security restrictions that have since been lifted.

The appendices on Production, Model Numbers, Units assigned, etc alone are worth the purchase price. The numerous photos, diagrams, etc. in the text make this work an outstanding value - even more so with the 30% markdown normally offered by Amazon. Highly recommended !

This book is brilliantly constructed account of the 24 hours leading up to one of the maximum effort raids on Germany. Large cast of well portrayed character's recounts the incredible courage of the airmen of both sides and the appalling results on the ground.

Only one in three Bomber Command aircrew survived WWII and over 50,000 perished bringing the German war machine to it's knees. There has never been a battle like it. Fought in the middle of the night for 4 years with the prospect of a horrific death ever present night after night.

Imagine going "over the top" in WWI and surviving it, then being asked to do it again the next day. And the next.

Not only that but after the war being branded as murderer's by the very people whose lives you were protecting. The post war government quickly distanced themselves from what Bomber Command achieved, and no gratitude was ever publicly forthcoming for these boys sacrifice.

To this day it still beggars belief.

Though the title implies that this is the story of a single bomber crew over Germany in 1943, "Bomber" goes farther - much farther, only starting with the crew of the heavy bomber "Joe for King". Deighton proceeds to cover the families of the crew, other crew members and their superiors before cutting across the channel to the enemy - night-fighter pilots, their controllers in German air defense, various suspicious characters from across the spectrum of Germany's military - from "respectable" Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht personnel to shadowy types from the "Abwehr" and the SS. We also meet the civilian residents of Altgarten, a Ruhr-area town nobody would think of bombing, but which manages to get plastered all the same. It's mid-summer 1943, when "Joe for King" is sent into the Ruhr as part of a massive night-time raid against the industrial centers of Krefeld. Lacking night-vision goggles, RAF pilots drop their bombs on targets marked by flares left by directing aircraft - in this case, specially equipped Mosquitoe night-fighters. When the marking aircraft for the Krefeld raid is shot down too early, its flares are released over Altgarten. This error is compounded by inherent flaws in RAF tactics (like targeting bombs in the center of cities, where bombs are more likely to hit civilian homes than factories and military installations), and the town becomes the unintended target for the massive strike. "Bomber" is to RAF's wartime bomber command what "Traffic" is to the DEA - a story of massive scale borne by wide cast if characters that never stops growing. Deighton doesn't let something meaningless as nationality get in the way of determining who is good or evil (the Germans get the bombs here, but Nazi genocide also gets prominent mention, with plenty of nasty Waffen SS to remind us why people were fighting). On the British side, we see officers acting less like gentlemen than soldiers. Political correctness is the rule (this is the country that gave us "1984"; "Joe for King"'s commander is suspected of incipient Bolshevism - it's very name hints at Stalin). Those who won't fall in line risk being labeled as LMF (Lacking Moral Fiber) - officially branded as cowards. Though books with such a command of detail normally favor the efforts of those they depict, Deighton is uniformly negative on the subject, a tone reinforced by his many subplots. Lambert, "Joe for King's" rebel pilot, plays the best cricket in Bomber Command - leading his odious superior to compel his participation in an upcoming tournament on pain of getting LMF'd. (Worse - the commander puts pressure on Mrs. Lambert after her husband has departed for the big raid). The bombers fly from Warley Fen, a once verdant field seized from its original owners who now stare at the airfield, mourning for what they know they will never have again. In Germany, ADF is managed by August Bach, an aged warrior preparing to marry his young son's nanny, not knowing how her youthful looks have made her the target of vicious rumors through Altgarten. The pilots of a night-fighter squadron (nichtjagdeschwader), preparing for a feared RAF attack on the Ruhr, are thrown into turmoil when Abwehr and Gestapo appear in search of a stolen classifed memo. The memo, it turns out, details hypothermia experiments on concentration camp prisoners (this may be same memo mentioned early in Robert Harriss' superb "Fatherland"). The corrupt assistant to Altgarten's Burgomeister arranges for the downgrading of the town's remaining Jews (from 1/3rd to 2/3rd "Jewishness" - though these jews are even more likely to face deportation and certain death, they will have greater freedom to marry other jews). Altgarten itself is flooded with profiteers funneling goods looted from conquered parts of Russia and the Netherlands. It seems that war is the only thing keeping the world safe because it occupies all the amoral typed who have to fight it. The only morally just adults are the TENO - the civil safety personnel who dig people out of bombed buildings. Because they are stationed in Altgarten, they get the biggest break: when the raid comes, they have the shortest commute. With so much going on, you just know you're bound to miss something. This is the sort of book that speed-readers hate. You'll probably lose count of all the characters that Deighton throws at you, though this doesn't hurt the plot as much as make the book one you'll want to re-read. Be warned - once you pick up bomber, you'll probably be spoiled for any other novel on the war in the skies over Europe.

This is a superbly plotted panel book in which every story ends with some sort of twist or irony. I write only to correct one error made by an earlier reviewer. Lambert's plane is NOT 'Joe for King', but 'the Creaking Door'. The CO is so out of touch that he mistakes the planes, thereby indirectly saving Lambert's life, much to his young wife's relief. (The casualty rates were horrific for bomber crews.)

It is somewhat amusing that the reviewer made the same mistake.

Bomber follows the progress of an Allied air raid through a period of twenty-four hours in the summer of 1943. It is not for weak stomachs as it shows the brutality of war.

The best fictional account of the "Other Side's" (German) view of being the "attacked". Mr. Deighton obviously has done his homework in showing how one massive,confused attack on a German town in the Summer of 1943 devastates everyone involved from the British RAF planners and pilots, politicians, and even more the German civilian home front, not to mention just about everyone else on the German side,from the SS,Luftwaffe, to the totally innocent on the ground. When the air raid alarms go off in the ficticious German town to the inevitable,terrifying end, mistakes and all, you know you're reading from a master. The ending is as terrible as you can imagine...

This books proves that our children are brainwashed to fight in this losing war. A war I did not want. A war of lies, and about money for the oil boys in the white house. In the book, the Marines move along like they are having a good time preparing to kill people. I mean, is this how Marines really are? Do Marines really like having to fight? I didn't know Marines had thoughts...let alone, thinking and then going into the enemy barking and howling and waving at the enemy to bring it on. I am now afraid of the ROWDY men who defend my freedom. If the world is really like this, then it was a very good-very informative book, and I am living in the dark...happily.

Great book. I saw several typs in the book. I would say that was a publisher issue and not a reflection on the story. It was great. I loved the little guy they abused for fun while "training him to be a nobody." He was the real underdog amongst such well trained. I did not like the language being of common foul but, it fits the attitudes.
Overall, a good book to read. Just hide it from the teenagers. I did. It will make them want to join. My boy is about the right age to get ideas. Thanks.

Tanya

I'm not sure what else to say but WOW. I bought this book expecting it to be like most other "war stories" but this one was completely different, it didn't have the depressing side of war but the humorous side! I would recommend this book to others!

Wonderful writing! With all of the personal experience written into the book, I felt like I was a part of the action and their with the troops! It's nice to know that even in the face of danger, our troops continue to keep their sense of humor and show that humanity can still override the bad in this world! This book helps show the how in the time of crisis how our troops can still be themselves, it makes me proud of all of our troops!

This book had me laughing so hard I was crying! It's nice to have a new perspective on the "typical" war type of book, this isn't a book that talks about the worst side of war, but the funny side of how troops have dealt with the pressures of war. I would highly recommend this book to any avid war story book collector, it's a must have for any collection!

This book has it all - from battleships to each individual landing craft, all are included in this complete reference work. With a work of this size I am amazed at the wealth of detail about each type of vessel. If you're looking for one book describing the British and Commonwealth warships in this period this is it.

I have only one complaint - the list of abbreviations is far from complete. Many abbreviations are introduced in the text, but not included in the list. This is OK if you're reading the book from cover to cover (at over 750 pages of small type this is quite a task!), but if you're picking out details of individual ships it can become frustrating.

Despite this one complaint I have no hesitation in giving this a five star review, due to its comprehensive coverage in breadth and depth.

As the author's son I would of course highly recommend this book to you all. I assisted my father with its production which took nearly three years. The work is the result of over thirty years of research and provides a mass of new detail and information not previously published. The photographs are excellent some of which are very rare and form only 20% of our overall warship collection. Quite simply this book has no equal, the previous definitive work was also written by my father.

I am pleased to be able to announce that work has already commenced on British and Empire Warships since 1945 which of course will bring us up to date. In addition we shall also be updating and republishing all former works in a better more complete format especially the works on the US Navy. Amazon list most of the former works which are now out of print. We shall now put this right.

The author can be contacted at trevor.lenton@virgin.net and I can be contacted at chrislenton@cim.co.uk for further information.

The most complete reference book about the RN I have never seen. When you own this book you need reading anymore about the Royal and Commonwealth Navies, because all the relevant informations can be found in this super reference book. Lots of data, very fine photographs, details concerning even the smallest craft (and this can be seen by someone as a fault). Just to pick holes Lenton could insert sections dealing with naval ordnance, mines, radar and so on. But anyway his work is an excellent one: a must-have book for the naval enthusiast's shelf.

The most complete reference book about the RN I have never seen. When you own this book you do not need reading anymore about the Royal and Commonwealth Navies, because all the relevant informations can be found in this super reference book. Lots of data, very fine photographs, details concerning even the smallest craft (and this can be seen by someone as a fault). Just to pick holes Lenton could insert sections dealing with naval ordnance, mines, radar and so on. But anyway his work is an excellent one: a must-have book for the naval enthusiast's shelf.

It is good to see H.T. Lenton's classic still available in print as it is surely a must for all those serious about having a complete reference to the British Empire fleet of WW2. The detail in which the book covers is truly staggering and this must be the result of years of research recording every technical detail available on each vessel. I first came across this definitive work while studying at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, London and ever since then I have used the book as my main source of reference.

I was very pleased to see that the section on the British trawlers and other 'minor vessels' remains in this edition and disagree totally with Tom Johnson's review preferring, "that Lenton repeat his first work and cover all the major navies in one book, at the expense of leaving off minor British trawlers and landing craft". It was thanks to Lenton's original work that I was able to carry out a comprehensive study on the anti-submarrine and minesweeping vessels used by the Royal Naval Patrol Service. This service lost more vessels than any other branch of the Royal Navy and therefore these small fighting ships should always be included.

I congratulate the author on this fine work and look forward to new editions of his books.

Mr. Biggs:
I read your review of this book and you mentioned that you served on board the destroyer USS Sims; my uncle Robert Andren also served on it, in the engine room I believe, sadly he went down with the ship when it was bombed in the Coral Sea. I was wondering if you may have known him- Robert Andren of New Rochelle NY.
Thank you.
Bob Andren

I recommend this marvellous book to all naval enthusiasts because they can easily see all of the Buckley class on it. Especially I am very glad to see all of the Captain class. I couldn't find which ship of the Royal Navy had 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns on X position before I purchased this masterpiece.

I recommend this marvellous book to all naval enthusiasts because they can easily see all of the Buckley class on it. Especially I am very glad to see all of the Captain class. I couldn't find which ship of the Royal Navy had 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns on X position before I purchased this masterpiece.

I received "The Buckley-Class Destroyer Escorts" as a gift and I consider it priceless. Having commissioned and served as a Gunners Mate on the USS Sims DE 154 (ESCORT DIV.6) until she was converted into the APD 50, I am familiar with some of the action in the Atlantic and Eastern Areas. Being able to follow the history of the Division, after I was reassigned, was a treat. Some of the inserts, the experiences of former crew members, struck pretty close to home. They well may have been in the bunk next to mine. The photographs were great. This book contains the only photo that I have seen of the "SIMS" underway. Compiling all of the information in this book, so long after the fact, is almost unbelievable. It is, in many respects, a record of a piece of my life. Any Sailor that served on one of "The Little Wolves" should own a copy of this book.

FIRST OFF:
THE DESIGN/DEPLOYMENT & MASS PRODUCTION OF THIS VITALLY NEEDED CLASS IS WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT!

'The Buckley-Class Destroyer Escorts', by Bruce Hampton Franklin, is NOT book about Battleships and battles. It is NOT about some of the thousands of patrols these vital ships sailed on under constant threat from submarines. It is NOT an operational history.

This book is, quite simply, a monument to the men and ships that formed the backbone of the allied Escort fleet during the second world war. It is safe to say that although this task was not afforded the glamor and hoopla of the Carrier Task Forces, the protection they afforded to allied shipping around the globe was just as important to the allied war effort and just as dangerous.

WHAT'S IN THE BOOK:

PART 1: DESIGN & DEPLOYMENT

--- 1- 'HISTORICAL BACKGROUND' - Page 3
--- 2- 'DESIGN & ARMAMENT' - Page 11
--- 3- 'CONVERSION PROGRAMS' - Page 47
--- 4- 'SERVICE HISTORY' - Page 61

PART 2: PICTORIAL HISTORY

--- 5- 'THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD' - Page 99

APPENDIXES

A- 'Number of Completed & Proposed DEs by Class & Disposition' - Page 175
B- 'Stastical Data of Buckley-Class Ships - Page 176
C- 'Monthly Totals of Buckley-Class Production & Service Deployment, 1942-1945 - Page 186
D- 'German & japanese Submarines Credited to Buckley-Class Ships, 1943-1945 - 188
E- Buckley-Class Ships That Sustained Heavy Damage or Were Lost, 1943-1945 - Page 190
F- U.S. Navy Escort Divisions and Royal Navy Escort Groups Containing Buckley-Class Ships, 1943-1945 - Page 192

SOURCES - Page 199
Acknowledgements - Page 203
Index - Page 205

REVIEW OF CONTENT: VERY SIMILIAR IN SCOPE AND SUBJECT TO 'THE ANATOMY OF THE SHIP SERIES'

The text in the first section, titled, 'DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT' includes detailed line drawings and a short treatment of the historical background, design and armament and some of the conversion programs [i.e.- into fast transports and electrical generation ships]. It ends with a short service history. If you are interested in these ships as a modeler, a crewman, a family member of a crewmen, or as a military history enthusiast this book is one of the best on the subject.

The largest section, {Part 2: THE PICTORIAL HISTORY} includes clear Black and White photos of 154 different Buckley-Class DEs and is the most comprehensive record of its kind. If you served on one of these ships there is a good chance that your ship is included in the photo record included.

The 6 appendixes include a concise statistical record regarding the disposition of these vessels.

BOTTOM LINE:

After reading this text I watched the film, 'The Enemy Below', starring Robert Mitchum as Captain of a Buckley-Class DE hunting a U-Boat captained by Kurt Jurgens in the South Atlantic in 1944. Although I have seen this film countless times over the past 50 years I now feel I know my way around the DE depicted in the film having now read this book.

Rhea - his trilogy was excellent but this book is exquisite and is highly recommended.

The author, Gordon Rhea, notes in the INTRODUCTION that "....books about privates are rare" and continues "None tell a story half as fascinating as that of Charles Whilden...." The text is a brief account of Whilden's life stating that his first forty years were characterized by mediocrity and failure. However, Whilden's brief fifteen minutes of glory came at the Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania Court House where he vividly demonstrated the capacity of an insignificant player "to alter the course of history."

Chapter 1 gives a short review of the 1864 strategic conditions in central Virginia which "By most estimates, 1864 loomed as the war's decisive year." In March 1864 President Lincoln made Grant commander-in-chief whose aim was the destruction of the Confederate armies, not to capture territory. The author observed "Thus the stage set for the Civil War's decisive campaign....The campaign would be a duel to the death between Grant and Lee, the best generals either side could field. The prize was the fate of two nations." Chapter 2 presents a concise account of pre-Civil War Charleston, S.C. stating the source of Charleston's wealth was rice and that the city's affluence "rested on the back of slaves." The author gives an interesting review of the area's concern about a slave rebellion and continues "As the Carolina Low country's slave population grew so grew the white minority's unease about servile insurrection."

After a unsuccessful brief career as a lawyer, Charles moved to Detroit where his lack of success continued to plague him.He left Detroit in 1855 and accompanied Colonel Grayson to Santa Fe, New Mexico as the colonel's personal secretary. In Santa Fe his mediocre success continued. When the Civil War commenced, Charles began the long trip home to Charleston. The ship he was on heading for the Carolina coast was badly damaged; and his health was compromised; for the rest of his life he suffered from epileptic seizures. In Charleston he tried to enlist a number of times; but due to his epilepsy he was unsuccessful in enlisting. By January 1864, Confederate manpower shortages were critical; and at age 39 Whilden was at last able to enlist as a private in Company I of the 1st Carolina at Orange Court House in February 1864.

Author Rhea uses Whilden and the 1st Carolina as the narrative vehicle for an interesting account of the battles of The Wilderness and at Spotsylvania. Whilden's unit was "destined to the worst of the campaign's carnage." Whilden received his baptism-under-fire on May 5 in the Battle of the Wilderness, had not run and was appointed as flag barrier when the flag barrier was wounded. Rhea observes "The post of flag bearer was important, not only for sentimental reasons but for practical ones as well." Charles career as a color barrier was off to a bad start as Union General Hancock troops overran Charles's unit. Only the last minute arrival of Confederate General Longstreet on May 6th saved the day. On the night of May 7-8 Grant's and Lee's armies moved south to the vicinity of Spotsylvania Court House where Lee erected sophisticated earthworks. The text briefly narrates Grant's fruitless efforts over the next three days to break through Lee's battlements.

Lee had erected a salient, nicknamed The Mule Shoe, and Grant had selected it for a massive attack by Union General Hancock on May 12. Union troops soon overran the pickets and the outer earthworks including the high ground, referred to as "the angle", to the Confederate left. The author gives a chilling account of the gruesome, bloody chaotic fighting as the Confederates fought to regain the angle and survive. Lee ordered General McGowan's brigade into the Mule Shoe. Charles, "still wracked by seizures" clearly understood the situation and fixing his eyes on the angle, carried the flag never expecting to reach the angle alive. When the flag was shot from its pole, Whilden wrapped the flag around his body. Behind him followed a "motley band of rebels." By ten o'clock in the morning Charles led his fellow Southerners to take over the Bloody Angle thus saving the battle for the Confederates. The butchery of May 12 was horrendous with the two armies suffering approximately seventeen thousand causalities. While Lee had won another battle, "the war in Virginia settled into a siege that would last ten months....but Grant had won the campaign, destroying the Army of Northern Virginia's offensive capacity."

His epilepsy making him unfit for service Charles returned to Charleston in August 1864 and was discharged after only eight months of duty. On September 25, 1866, during an epileptic seizure he fell facedown in a mud puddle, and drowned. While there are no monuments to Charles Whilden, his heroic action on May 12, 1864 at the Bloody Angle lives on as a tribute to the potential of an insignificant player who altered the course of Civil War history.

Gordon Rhea has done considerable research on the campaigns of 1864, having previously written several books on these campaigns. This is an easy book to read. Civil War buffs who want a brief/limited account of the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court and a private who won his fifteen minutes of fame in 1864 at the Bloody Angle, will find this book interesting.

For anyone wanting to learn the specifics of two major battles between Grant and Lee, this book is excellent. I am always glad to see books that resist glorification by detailing the horrendous conditions of some of the most brutal fighting of the war, which is saying a lot. SPOILER--But the author couldn't resist talking about Whilden's actions as heroic and how the day was won for the Confederacy as if it were a truly noble outcome. Now look at it another way: if Whildon were shot down and the Rebels didn't have a rallying point to successfully rienforce the earthworks, then Grant would've plowed through, cutting Lee's army in half and most likely defeat them. With this outcome, you would not have had the endless series of massacres throughout central Virginia, no siege of Petersburg, no Cold Harbor. With the war over, you probably wouldn't have Atlanta and Colombia in ashes and the atrocity of Sherman's March. Just food for thought-Discuss...

A General or a Colonel certainly has the ability to alter the course of
history or make his name well-known to his countrymen through actions.
But does a common private lost within the ranks have the same ability?
Gordon Rhea answers this question brilliantly in this book about a
middle-aged Confederate private set amongst two of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
Charles Whilden went from obscurity to fame at a place called the
Bloody Angle, a key position on the battlefield of Spotsylvania Courthouse, where he carried a tattered battle flag in front of a desperate charge that eventually led to a Confederate victory and prolonged an already endless war. Without Whilden's heroics, the Confederates wouldn't have rallied for victory and would likely have been crushed, along with the Confederacy itself. Does this make Whilden a hero or a villain? After all, the 'victory' that he initiated was only short-lived, and only led to more death and destruction. This is one of the questions that may come across a reader's mind amidst the awe and respect for the common infantryman that develops over the course of this book.Another question is this: How many other Private Whilden's are there scattered about America's short, yet war-ridden, past? Was there a Private Whilden at San Juan Hill, or Iwo Jima, or Saratoga? Rhea's ability to shrink something as grand as war into something as familiar as a common man fighting for a cause has a way of reminding us that wars are not fought by generals. Not only that, but his descriptions of the two brutal campaigns of The Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse would make any Civil War buff foam at the mouth.
One man can change the course of history. This book will teach you
that if nothing else. But, more important, it also teaches that the common soldier, no matter what side he fights for, is driven by a courage that should at the very least be honored and always respected.

"Carrying the Flag" is a gem of a little book telling the story of an otherwise anonymous Confederate Private who found 15 minutes of fame in 15 hours of improbable glory. While Private Whilden's exploits at Spotsylvania's Bloody Angle were unique in their specifics, one can only imagine hundreds, if not thousands, of equally heroic deeds over the course of the war by similarly obscure infantrymen.

Private Whilden's battle experience was limited to the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. Accordingly, much of author Rhea's book details just how unexceptional Private Whilden was. The material, which seemingly holds little promise, in fact makes for an appealing window on the "middle class" antebellum South. In the end, if you can't applaud Private Whilden's take on the world and his place in it, you can surely understand it and, perhaps even applaud the depth of his commitment to it.

One of the most attractive features of the book, for me, is the compelling way in which Private Whilden's two battles unfold. There is the usual blood and gore, but more important, the narrative, complemented by just one map of each of the battlefields, is as clear as any I've read. The tactical story is the focus, but the operational and strategic context is cogently sketched in as well. Indeed, I would recommend the two battle sequences as among the best, most comprehensible short summaries of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania that I have read.

A very nice, very readable addition to the literature; highly recommended.

This Civil War novel makes the human experience of this black time in our history so real and so moving that I felt it had enriched my life for having read it. It expanded both my knowledge of those trying days and my compassion for the people who lived through them. Wise has so beautifully developed this story and the characters that I finished the book filled with far greater understanding and admiration for the people whose lives had become so intricatedly entwined and enriched in times of unbelieveable hardship.

Wise writes with great sensitivity and clarity. His use of words creates a concise and flowing description of the events bringing people into this civil war hospital. As the story developed each character unfolded with greater and greater depth and became someone I felt I would like to know.

I rarely read a book twice but I found myself enjoying it even more the second time around. All in all a great book which deserves much recognition. I am looking forward to more from this author.

Wise writes a good character driven story, displaying both the dark and warm side of humanity during the Civil War in a makeshift hospital called Chimborazo. The characters are real and likeable, and Wise's description is so good that you learn just as much from a character's silence as from his or her dialogue. The impending sense of doom as the North closes in on Richmond is wonderfully developed. There is much tragedy in this story, but there is great compassion in the face of this tragedy. Wise also illustrates the chaos of the time where southerner can attack southerner. As one of the characters realizes, there are good and bad individuals no matter where they come from. I recommend this book highly.

As a military historian and a Richmonder, I was very glad to find this excellent novel by Steven Wise. I believe that he captured the mood of the final days of the Confederacy and of the men and women who lived during that period. He based several passages upon actual events that transpired at the large Confederate hospital on top of Chimborazo Hill in Richmond. I wish that his novel were available in a trade paperback edition, so that more people would see it on the book shelves.

Steven W. Wise is a master storyteller with a true gift for writing description. I am notoriously bad about skimming a book to get to the story plot. This is impossible with the Wise novels. I need to savor every word.

CHIMBORAZO is not a pretty tale, but a realistic one of the hospital conditions at the close of the Civil War. Doctors and nurses of this era are given the credit they have deserved as their story is woven in with the suffering and deprivation of their patients.

The characters of this novel were beautifully developed, although have to admit a disappointment at the fate of some of them. I guess that is what gave it its realism. By the time I had finished CHIMBORAZO, I felt I knew the central characters as friends.

The underdeveloped ending was superb. I give the book an A rating.

In his novel Chimborazo, Steven W. Wise, places us in the middle of one of the worst chapters of American History, the Civil War. In that war, we are taken to the Confederate Hospital in Richmond after which the book is titled. The story commences in the waning days of the war, and the conditions in this hospital are almost inconceivable given today's medical technology. However, we find that while medical technology, supplies and even food are primitive, the care and concern of the staff and patients for each other in many cases make up for this lack of facilities. It is here we meet Letha Bartlett, the matron of a ward of the hospital. Raised in wealth and comfort, she has come here to provide care and support for the men who have given greatly to the "cause". As we come to see, it is often the care of Letha or others that make the difference between life and death. The story also concerns a wounded soldier, Granville Pollard, who has given much physically, but will find he has much to give others even in his life altered condition. The story concerns much of the character development and relationship between Pollard and the others he meets in the hospital. It also shows the ability of the human body and spirit to heal in the most difficult of places. Often the human kindness and concern shown by others is the only medical care available.

The novel caused me to consider the situations in which we human beings sometimes find ourselves. When our best laid plans do not work as we expected, and when hope is found in the most hopeless places. The story told much about the resilience of the human spirit, and the fragility of life. The characters also show that if the thin veneer of civilization can remain in tact in a place like this, we need to consider the situations we find ourselves in and evaluate our own behavior when confronted with adversity.

I recommend this book highly, not only for the rich characters you will meet or the incredible situations you will encounter, but as a mirror to hold up and examine your own life and behavior. A small kindness shown to another may take but a few minutes of our time, but to the other person, it may be the spark of hope that is desperately needed in a dark hour. It is my hope that this book will remind the reader of that, and of the incredible impact each of us can have on others.

In the rising genre of military techno thriller, CAPT. David E. Meadows rises to the top. I have not read the first three books in this series, but "Cobra" is a blood curdling introduction to the madness of radical terrorists and a brilliant testimony to the true bravery of men and women-in this case Americans but we can add in all coalition military forces-put in harm's way defending humanity and our right to freedom. Capt. Meadows has the advantage of an unprecedented background in sea duty, and as a political and military insider serving on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his fictional scenarios take on a frightening reality of a world most readers never know. Though "Cobra" is set in the future, it could be the story of what is happening right now. All the players are there-North Korea and just substitute Iraq for Algiers-and the threat of mass destruction with biochemical weapons. His characters also demonstrate why we will win the war against terrorism because the bonding between our defenders of the peace manifests a dedication and faith in each other that terrorists, who lead by fear, can never defeat. Whether you are a military person or just a plain civilian, this book grabs you and won't let you put it down until the last word.

Navy Captain, David Meadows, certainly saved the best book for the end to his navy thriller series! I was spellbound until the end of the book. After reading this series I became a huge fan of this writer and I look forward to the release of his next book. I understand that his new book will be out in September and that too is going to be a series. That makes me happy! I can hardly wait!!!

David Meadows is clearly the Tom Clancy of the new century. His knowledge of the Sixth Fleet and the countries of the Med is clearly evident on every page! Moreover, his characters are realistic three dimensional folks that draw you into the story. I am a Navy Reservist and I found these books impossible to put down. I highly recommend the Sixth Fleet series and his new Joint Task Force series to anyone who likes a great, action packed military story!

This is definately one book by David Meadows you do not want to miss! Exciting, thrilling, a real page turner!

Please take the time to read CAPT Meadows books. I could say a lot of wonderful things to get you to go out and buy his books, but I believe it would be better to let you know about CAPT Meadows from my own personal experience.

I met Dave (Igor) in 1974. He was a CTI1 (E6) linguist stationed in Athens, and I flew with him over the next 3 years. He was extremely competant, hard working, and very intimidating. Igor stands somewhere in the neighborhood of 6'6". Dave knows the Med better than anyone. He knows the enemy, the tactics, the "game". He's been out there on all the recce aircraft as an aircrewman, been on the ships as a cryptologic direct support rider, and rode the ships as a division officer. He's been on Fleet Staff duty and know's about the integration of fleet sensor information, and how it may affect operations. He's been there and done that. So when you read about the stories, you can really sense what it's like to be in those shoes. Dave knows what he's talking about. Finally, do yourself a favor, go out and read one of his books. He's a raising star in this genre and you won't ever forget his work. He's made a significant difference in the cryptologic community, and I hope that he will continue to influence Naval leadership in the future by writing more. Thanks, Igor!

Amazon.com has many comments already which praise the quality of this history of Cochrane. I thought it was good, also, and was impressed by how hard the author tried to present different viewpoints of some controversial circumstances in his life. I don't think I need to add anything to what has been written about the book's appeal to those with an interest in the age of fighting sail. I did not like the recording on the MP3 version, however, because of the length of each chapter. Tracks ranged from 20-35 minutes or so in length rather than most audio books that break up the tracks into 5-10 minute sections. Since I listen to audio books on the treadmill and am normally on the treadmill 35-50 minutes, I was always in the middle of a track when I quit and had to repeat that entire track the next day to hear the end of it. It was annoying as it is the only audio book I have that was done like this. The quality of the reading, the consistency in volume between tracks, and the clarity of the recording were excellent, however.

As a die hard Patrick O'Brian fan and an amateur history buff this book was intriguing to me. It is very well written and presents the life story of an amazing British Navy hero not well known today.

David Cordingly does a superb job presenting the real life exploits of Cochrane, which incredibly are every bit as extraordinary as the fictional exploits of Captain Jack Aubrey in the Patrick O'Brian Master and Commander series.

I highly recommend it.

A great story and a great read about a great commander by my new favorite author, Thank You, Sir. I am going to order "Billy Ruffian".

Many readers will come to David Cordingly's The Real Master and Commander from a desire as fans of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester to learn more about the remarkable man whose life provided the raw material for the tales of Jack Aubrey and Horatio Hornblower. Make no mistake, however, Cordingly's excellent historical biography deserves to be read on its own merits.

Lord Thomas Cochrane executed such stunningly audacious feats - successfully attacking much larger ships with his small sloop Speedy, leading an attack of fireships on the French fleet at Basque Roads, and helping Chile and Brazil establish their independence - that one might cry `what pitiful stuff' if one read it in a work of historical fiction. But it really happened.

Cochrane was a flawed man who could not restrain himself from reckless attacks on powerful forces in the navy and the government generally. When he found himself entangled in an infamous stock exchange fraud (the leaders spread false rumors that Napoleon had died and then sold their shares when the market predictably spiked), he discovered that powerful men were only too happy to see him convicted and drummed out of the navy. Cordingly judiciously sifts the evidence of Cochrane's guilt or innocence from our vantage point nearly 200 years later.

In addition to his naval feats Cochrane also fought for reform causes as a member of parliament. His intemperate tactics and language did him little good. Of course, he was quite right in insisting that either the electoral system would be reformed from within or reformed with a vengeance from without.

After several years in the `wilderness', Cochrane sailed to South America and successfully aided the rebellion against Spain and Portugal. He eventually wore out his welcome there as well, in part due to fights over prize money. From there he went to the Greek Fiasco, as Cordingly aptly names it. He spent his remaining years fighting with some success to restore honor to his name. A sad dwindling away for this remarkable man.

A must read for fans of Age of Sail historical fiction and an excellent histroical biography.

I think I am correct in saying that I have read all of the biographies of Thomas, Lord Cochrane, published in the last few decades, and I would rate this volume as the being the best of all, giving good coverage of all phases of Cochrane's long naval and political careers. Unlike some authors, Cordingly is careful to match Cochrane's own accounts of his activities against other primary sources, and to give equal balance to Cochrane's activities in the wars for South American independence with those during the Napoleonic Wars.

Cochrane was an extraordinary man, his genuine history perhaps more amazing than any of the fiction inspired by his real-world activities, this is a biography that does him justice, lauding his good qualities and achievements without hiding his flaws and failures.

As a fellow Cav trooper this book brought back fond memories of the great friends and infrequent happy moments made and shared by soldiers growing out of the unreal existance that was combat.
This is a skillfully told story of what could/should have been. It had me smiling almost constantly and laughing out loud at how dinky-dau we and Morris's characters had gotten.
I highly recommend this tale to any looking for a fun and interesting read. Morris presents an unusual take on war and how it's fought.

Five words.. BUY and READ the Book!

The Kirkus Discoveries review (July 13, 2007 ) writes that in Cologne No. 10 For Men by Richard Morris "A soldier in Vietnam invents a uniquely absurd solution to the horrors of war." It continues: "He [Morris] also infuses his war story with the black humor prevalent in many modern American war stories like Catch-22 or M.A.S.H." and concludes that the novel is "A funny and serviceable satire about the gross rationalizations that propel war and peace." I fully agree with Kirkus. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it!

http://www.kirkusdiscoveries.com/kirkusreviews/discoveries/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003611548

When I finally had a chance to read this amazing book, it consumed an entire Saturday, on the bench at our park, and later on the sofa, and then out on the porch, and later by a tree, and so on. I was trying to think of what author it reminded me of, but decided that it is really the author's unique voice, with humor, irony, tragedy, and spirituality all woven together, just as the story weaves together the progress of the various characters. For me, the climax of the story is when the chaplain gives up. As if a railroad train had just crashed into a church. Such an immensly screwed up world is going to need a saviour that nobody would have imagined. And that is exactly what happens, God as expressed through peace, love, truth, laughter, irony, creativity, working through people, finds a way!

Initiated into Vietnam combat by an X-rated spree of sheer killing and sex, Lieutenant Wilfred Carmenghetti concocts a new practice of warfare amid the unraveling of his training-instilled image that bravery, ideals and might are what matters. Does killing produce success? Is sex love? As Wilfred gets to the bottom of these fallacious equations, what's image and what's real turn inside-out. Step by step, the realization of what's human and what's possible sinks deeper into Wilfred's scheming brain while his nonstop creativity comes up with yet another scenario of how not to fight the war. The men in his loyal platoon are there every step of the way and even correct his missteps. Their consummate, battle-tested skill for tracking down the enemy transmutes into increasingly zany - and effective -- tactics that foil the army brass.

Enter the phony body count featured in the book's teaser-preface, and later spelled out in all the gore and putrefaction of recycled, unearthed bodies that sport ketchup blood in their second showing. Eventually a breathing, uniformed GI poses as a fresh VC corpse - until corpses and even body counts become not only a passé ritual, but no longer essential to the overall game plan. The game plan spirals toward its target of peace with an uncanny aim to be envied by the colonel-sniper that shadows Wilfred's every move. Achieving a full, lasting peace means the platoon has to go right back into the violent heart of the war zone. Will they succeed? The future outcome is up to us.

"Cologne No. 10 for Men," Richard Morris (2007). Morris was a rifle platoon leader in Viet Nam in 1967. In this novel based on his experiences there he takes us through the career of his hero, Lt. Wilfred Carmenghetti, from his beginnings as a gung-ho platoon leader to de facto Division Commander. Morris clearly understands the military mind. In telling his story with the dry wit for which he is well known, Morris provides a remarkably ingenious formula for U.S. success in Iraq and Afghanistan that may yet be adopted by the Bush administration; if not by them, then certainly by the next President, whoever that may be. Altogether hilarious; the must-read sleeper of the season - I can't wait to see the movie; too bad Red Buttons isn't around to play the lead.