Military Books

Primitive peoples once shook their spears at the heavens and chanted to entice the gods to favor them with rain or otherwise change the weather. Around the turn of the century, experimenters began seeding clouds with various chemicals that sometimes encouraged a much-needed downpour. That was a hundred years ago.

Technology has advanced.

In WEATHER WARFARE, Jerry E. Smith reveals technology so sophisticated that it can alter weather patterns, trigger earthquakes, shake volcanoes into eruption, and initiate tsunamis. Massively budgeted projects play with powerful environment-busting science, and the militaries of various nations are the biggest users...and abusers.

So potentially devastating are environmental modification (ENMOD) threats that U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) submitted legislation to Congress in 2001 that would have banned such systems. Other political leaders have similarly expressed concern that militaries are experimenting with and even deploying environment-altering technology that may be globally destructive.

Smith's heavily researched and thoroughly documented book tugs the reader along like a novel, unveiling frightening technologies, conspiracies, and agendas that may be altering our lives and generating a host of negative environmental effects throughout the entire planet.

WEATHER WARFARE is easily understood by the layman and avoids dense technical explanations. Even so, this reader would have been fascinated to see more technical detail in some areas, such as how earth-penetrating electromagnetic waves are theorized to interact with certain types of geology and cause earthquakes.

Mixed with the hard facts are some scary conspiracy theories that range from the highly believable to the outlandish, and Smith neither endorses nor dismisses them. (They're all interesting anyway!)

WEATHER WARFARE is an important book; required reading by those who wish to remain vigilant in their support of democracy (and survival!); and entertaining reading for those who enjoy their conspiracy theories frightening and laced with a heavy dose of truth.

The book has interesting points. A bit clumsy and jumpy. Would have been nice to have more solid referencing, instead of a few quotes here and there used multiple times.

Have you ever been at a party and REALLY wanted to impress your friends during their conspiracy conversations with a dissertation on weather warfare? Yeah me neither, usually my interest in the subjects of the conspiracy kind relegate me to the dark corners while other speak of football and politics (although politics are fun too..). But if you did you need to read this book!

After reading Weather Warfare you'll be like a rockstar on the subject of weather warfare. Jerry Smith does all the heavy lifting for you, and what resulted is a very well written, easy reading book which walks you through not only the current state of 21st century weather modification but also a step by step history of the subject. From the barn stormers of the 20's to HAARP to beyond, its all here.

And that brings me to another subject..

One of my biggest personal pet peeves in conspiracy/ufo/alternative information books is that you pickup a book out of interest in hopes of learning something interesting and new. But the author of the book assumes you have some level of knowledge about the subject and this makes the book harder to interpret and understand.

Jerry Smith on the other hand starts at ground zero, and takes your hand. Then together you walk through the whole subject step by step, and when you are done, you know where we've come from and where we are going. He also provides plenty of additional resources to keep learning as well as a wonderful website which will further your education. If you travel in these circles that continuing education and the resources he provides are priceless as this kind of subject is constantly evolving.

Well footnoted, and illustrated Weather Warfare is a wonderful book I'd recommend to everyone interested in HAARP, DARPA, and black projects.

My final word on this book - When you finish Weather Warfare you will not only feel like an expert on Weather Modification you will be one. It's that good. Really!

Whether it is to weaken hurricanes or to create better snow fall for ski resorts environmental modifications certainly go against the grain of ecological ethic. The question that must be asked by everyone now is how much modifications and manipulation can our earth endure before she starts to rebel. Weather Warfare takes the reader into the dark world of chemtrail conspiracies, UFOs and earth quakes on demand! The book also revisits Tesla and HAARP. The book ends with the conspiracy that the chemtrails are due to some type of additive "they" are putting into the jet fuel. Could this be the new world order or an attempt to dehumanize the world? Issues like HAARP, Chemtrails, and Environmental Modifications must be brought to the attention of the public ASAP for the well being of this planet. All people must do is read and Jerry E Smith is my recommended read for everyone. It's up to everyone to do their small part to make this world a better place. You can start with educating your self with literature. I also must state the any book published by the Adventures Unlimited Press is of top quality information. I am patiently awaiting Mr. Smith's next book.

This book is amazing. The information in is very thought provoking. The opening quote by a top government official on how the US needs to participate in biological and environmental warfare is shocking, except for those of us who know what the US Gov't has done in the past (i.e. 9/11 was an inside job). It explains in detail ways that the US has attempted to manipulate weather and earthquakes in the past and desires to do so with even greater effort in the future. HAARP is a sci-fi style weapon that will likely be secretly used against the American people by their own government.
Excellent information.

Detail in drawings opened up a whole new understanding of the ship's rigging. Many thanks

It is an excellent book. Very informative. Gives you added information needed to Build your model. The plans are easily read and can be reduced or Enlarged to other scales without too much problem. As I am new to model Scratch shipbuilding it is a great start for the information needed to carry out the task. Also the Historical interestThe 100-Gun Ship Victory (Anatomy of the Ship Series)

I bought this book for a 76 year old friend interested in learning about the workings of the gun-ship Victory. He couldn't be happier and has spent hours poring over the information provided in this very well written and illustrated book.

This book contains all the information you would need to "scratch-build"
HMS Victory in any scale or to improve any kit on the market. The detail is amazing and leaves no guesswork whatsoever. A "top-of-the-line" book,
just like the ship itself. Lord Nelson would approve.

Admiral Lord Nelson, the most successful naval commander of all time, died on board his flagship HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Arguably the world's most famous ship, HMS Victory was never decommissioned by the Royal Navy and is now the world's longest serving warship.

Writing this review as someone who, primarily, conducts research into ships but also as one who builds model ships, this book is ideally suited for either purpose. Beginning with an explanation of "First Rate" ships and a list of all those which held that rating, author John McKay takes the reader briefly through a career summary of HMS Victory before moving on to her design and construction. From here on he leaves no stone unturned as he describes each and every facet of the ship - right down to how many tons of salt meat or biscuits she would carry.

Everything from her various repairs and refurbishments to the more specific aspects of her steering gear, ground tackle, pumps, boats, sheathing, accommodation, masts, rigging, yards, sails - and so the list goes on, is fully explained in excellent detail.

The equally excellent photography is only eclipsed by the ultra-high standard of technical drawings which cover every aspect of the ship.

One final point; This excellent series of books include a scale drawing of the vessel to which the book refers on the reverse side of the dust jacket. These are sometimes overlooked.

Altogether a "First Rate" book.

NM

I was stationed on Adak (NSGA) and was sitting on watch the day PD-02 went in the water. I recall the day very well. Later in my career, I flew over 300 missions in EP-3 and modified P-3 aircraft, most under the PARPRO program. Over the years I've wondered many times what happened on PD-02, but I figured I'd never find out. Then I saw that this book had been written. I snapped it up, and I couldn't put it down.

Skipper Jampoler did a simply superb job of describing the plane, the crew, the pre-mission activities, Adak, the North Pacific...you name it. This is an incredibly realistic book. I found myself being reminded of things that I'd long ago forgotten.

Also, weaving the story around the official Findings of Fact was a brilliant idea.

Well done!

A great read for all. Even better for us P-3 guys, gives great insight on many of the "why's" from emergency procedures. If you're not convinced E-handling a pitchlocked prop is a bad idea, you need to read this book.

Having flown in P-3s in the early 70's and knowing all too well the rigors that these crews faced, I found this book to be a very well written and accurate account of what can happen when things go terribly wrong. The details might get a bit daunting for persons without technical knowledge of this aircraft. For us "ex" P-3 types it is an interesting book and I read it in two sittings. It gives a great view into the world of P-3 aircrews and the proceedures that SAR crews use.

A must read for old seadogs like me!

I was a mechanic with VP-9 when PD-02 went down off of the coast of Russia and went on to become a flight engineer with the Golden Eagles and had the opportunity to fly with Ed Caylor on a number of occasions. I knew most of the crew members personally and most all of the other people mentioned in the book. I was very young when we lost 5 of our crew members in the Pacific and the event had a huge impact on me. The book is very accurate and well written. It's great reading for aviation buff's and a must read for anyone that was part of VP-9.

As the son of a Navy P-3 (and sea plane) pilot and former CO of VP-9, this book hit very close to home for me. The story is well-written and extremely emotional, at least to anyone who has ever had a loved one fly in harm's way. When you're a kid, and your Dad flies Navy planes for a living, you never really consider the risks and dangers. This true story demonstrates what these men faced on a daily basis and shows how their endless training and attention to detail was essential to their survival. You wouldn't expect a Navy flyer turned author to write a tear jerker, but that is certainly what Andy Jampoler has done, at least for me. Thinking back on all those flights, all those deployments, all those "close" calls with engine failure, and realizing that it could have been my family welcoming back a box instead of a father, there simply is no way not to shed a tear of both sorrow and thanks. The men of PD-2 were heroes in the traditional sense; they did their jobs in the face of incredible danger, some losing their lives in the process. But for me, what this book really shows is that tragedy doesn't make heroes. For every Jerry Grigsby, Ed Caylor and John Ball, there were thousands of other Navy officers and men who were just a much heroes. In this time of war, it's important to remember that.

Highly recommended. Reading this book I learned a lot about the history of Congo and the suffering of its people. Once you started reading you can't really put it down. But be warned: The stories about gunboys, militia and so on are really cruel and reading about their atrocities makes you want to throw the book against the wall or shout at somebody.

Bryan Mealer has penned a brutal memoir of his three years as a reporter in the Congo, three years when teenage gunboys roamed the countryside and city streets, when UN peacekeeping forces faced mystical leaders operating from jungle mountaintops, when rebel militias and government forces alike pillaged their own nation. It was a horrible time in the history of a country that has seen little else for the last hundred years.

While Mealer writes about the bloody atrocities he witnessed, the real story he tells is about himself. He's drawn back to the Congo three times, apparently addicted to the extreme discomfort and random violence he endures. His travels cover nearly the entire country from the capital of Kinshasa to the mineral-rich southern provinces to the guerilla-infested eastern region where an alphabet-soup of militias, foreign armies, and UN forces fight a never-ending war of terror, rape, and mutilation. He rides a newly-reconstructed rail line and even follows Conrad's trail up the Congo River via barge. At one point, he and his adventure-junkie buddies take off through the jungle on bicycles.

While Mealer tells us the names and stories of many Congolese he meets along the way, he never really gives much insight into them as anything other than victims. He says as much when he reflects on his bicycle journey:

"...once in the jungle, my own basic needs and level of comfort had stood in the way of learning anything. I didn't even know my riders' last names or anything about their families. I'd simply been too exhausted and hungry to care. It wasn't my proudest moment, and even now, those last days on the trail leave a sting of regret."

Still, All Things Must Fight To Live puts the reader close to the action and accurately reflects the aftermath of war and colonialism in one of the world's greatest humanitarian catastrophes.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo

I read this book in May and still find myself haunted by it. Episodes like the Kinshasa Fight Club or the surreal appearance of Jessica Lange at a triage camp will stay with me for a long long time.

Mealer tenderly renders the humanity of a situation most of us would prefer to think of as inhuman.

You owe it to yourself to take a look.

I had to put the book down several times because I felt sick. Bryan's writing was so real that I felt every terrifying and treacherous moment along the way. Just when a dangerous jouney ended, another began. I am so overwhelmed with what Bryan experienced in the Congo. I know him personally as well as his family, and I can't imagine what they all went through at their own levels.
I applaud Bryan Mealer for the excellent portrayal of a dire situation. I admire his wife, Ann Marie, and family for living through all of the reports, emails and contacts from Bryan throughout his entire journey.
BRAVO, Bryan, for the intensity, honesty, and real depiction of the situation in the Congo that we should all be aware of and concerned about.

I recommend this book for many reasons--Mealer's lyrical, colorful prose, insight into some of the most magnificent and heartbreaking events and places in the DRC, and finally, for a first hand account of how, why, and when news reaches us out of Africa. I'll recommend this book to my colleagues who study Congo, but also to family members who would like a window into this fiercely captivating and complicated place.

When I finished this book I had a new understanding of the Revolutionary War. The book contains writings from all perspectives about all aspects of our fight to be born as a nation. At the end I felt a real sense of suprise in my new understanding of what this struggle meant to the participants as it was occurring.
The Library of America makes an excellent book with first class binding and paper. They also get the highest marks for scholarship. The editors of this volume used all contemporary sources and documented them carefully. At the same time they produced an entertaining book on a subject that has been covered in thousands of volumes.
As I read the accounts from privates and generals and everyone in between I was suprised by the high level of literacy of all parties. They all expressed different points of view with a level of articulateness that is missing in most of the writing of today. I learned a new appreciation for the letter as a means of communication. An amusing suprise was the spelling of that era, which was not was not near as uniform as today.
Reading this book gives an insight into the experience of the revolutionary war that is unique. I have read many volumes on the political and military history of that era without gaining the understanding of the events I gathered from this book. If you are interested in the subject at all reading this volume is an investment of time well worth the effort.

This book is like having our founding fathers in the room and talking to you. It's history as told by the participants, not filtered through another author's interpretations. If you care about our country and want to know what really happened, read this book. You'll come away understanding why we fought the war of independence, and you'll also see the roots of both the Bill of Rights and the Civil War as well. I've given away perhaps 10 copies of this book to judges, attorneys and politicians and they all rave about it. Open your mind and find out what really happened to make our country great.

This book not only has a lot of important names in it (I won't repeat them here), it also has letters from people of lower ranks, or townsfolk. You not only get to know what the generals and officers were thinking, but you also get to know what the people in the soon-to-be United States were doing and thinking. There is an incredible diary from a 14 year old girl included in the collection. She recounts the officers who were quartering in her home and what she thought of them and what she thought in general. Her original orthography is preserved as much as possible. Also included are various diaries of people who lived in the areas where battles or troop movements were taking place. Much insight into what life must have been like during the Revolution can be gleaned from these. There are also glimpses of the violence of warfare in those days through the letters and diaries of the people who were surrounded by it.

This collection is made doubly valuable by its comprehensiveness. You'll read the big names, but also quite a bit of the lesser known ones. Each author also has a biography which can be referenced in an appendix of notes, so you know what happened to them. An amazing collection of the famous and the not so famous of the American Revolution.

No matter what you have learned about the American Revolution, this terrific volume from the wonderful Library of America will give you a richer understanding of how it happened and who was involved and when. It is full of documents that are contemporary with key events of the Revolution from various points of view. They are from diaries, newspapers, letters, speeches, key official documents, excerpts from books, and so on.

Of course, part of the problem of reading contemporary documents is that the non-specialist will need some helps to put them in context, understand who wrote them, who the key participants are, and so on. The editor has provided a very fine chronology of the War, Biographical Notes, Notes on the Texts, Explanatory Notes, an index, and a surprisingly helpful table of contents.

The documents are presented chronologically with the dates along the top of the page. You can read it front to back or jump into it here or there. While this volume will enrich your understanding of and appreciation for our Founding, it will also provide a jumping off point for further study. Since these are all source documents that historians use in their writings, having read them will allow you to read secondary writings on our founding with more authority and their biases and any agenda they have will stand out more clearly as your read their work.

A must have for your American History shelf.

Fantastic collection of sources (American, Tory, Whig, British, etc) that tells the chronological tale of the American Revolution. Troop movements, political undertones, the effects on the communities, the horrors and kindnesses of villains and heroes, and the full kaleidoscope of the human experience are generously provided here. The book moves from the ride of Paul Revere to the moving resignation of Washington's commission, a very dramatic narrative pieced together skillfully by a wide variety of independent accounts.

This is a very interesting and readable account of scratch building a model sailing ship. I found the descriptions of the simplfications made in constructing the model to be very interesting and this increased my appeciacion for the complexity of both the model and the original vessel. The book is also very informative on what the possible pitfalls and problems one may encounter when building such a model..things that would not otherwise have occured to me. I cannot praise the fold-out line drawings enough, excellent! This book comes highly recommended!

WOW! That was the first thing I said after opening Amazon's box containing this book. The book is a substantial size, nice and thick and the binding quality is excellent. What a masterpiece. The numerous amounts of fold-outs are excellent, full of great info on the Victory. There are a number of glossy pages with lots of pictures of the original and the model HMS Victory. The figure list is very usefull as are all the other lists to make finding your way around very quick and easy. The other reviewers have accurately depicted the content; I felt that the rest needed recognition. If you are at all like me and don't mind spending the money you will understand this next statement. Buy two, one to keep safe in your bookshelf and one to wear out during its extensive use. BUY IT you will for sure enjoy all 283 pages. Michael

This is a great book, but it's meant mainly and despite the title, for the modeler of the great flagship of Lord Nelson. There are very few details relating to any of the other ships of Nelson, but the Victory is covered like no other book...

Details abound in this marvellous book by an author steeped in his subject. I felt as if he had been on the ways at the time of building and relating his opbservations, but from the viewpoint of an educating master of this complex subject. I thoroughly enjoyed every page and can use the details provided to better my own modeling skills. If you enjoy detail and want to read about it from the pen of a master of his subject, buy this book today!

I recieved this today.. it's a must for the modeler and a wonderful read even if your not. It's a bit pricey, but worth it so far. If you can find it used then make sure all of the fold out plans are intact as I feel they are a major part of what make the book so facinating.

Although Aulander takes you to the time period during World War 2, one can see the correlation of struggles through the eyes of the many diverse characters that exist no matter what time period we live in.

Lewis Kelly's development of global characters is amazing. You can see, feel and even identify with the various people and the multitude of nationalities all involved in ridding humanity of a scourge placed on society.

November Hanson, Host of Voice of the People Radio
The author provides a multitude of settings and is able to easily jet you from one location to another through out the story. You might be heavily involved in the activities taking place in London , England and suddenly find your self transported back to the Harlem neighborhoods in New York. Then, suddenly you appear in the South Pacific.

Aulander is an easy read, yet rich in language and character development. The book is entertaining. It can move your emotions, make you laugh, sit on the edge of your seat trying to get to the next page to see what happens next. This story is also educational, using words from other languages when appropriate, information that is historically accurate and learning about the struggles of the African American during World War 2 that High School history books seem to omit.

I am waiting for the next book, I have to know what happens to some of these people. I would also like to see this story on the Big Screen, I could easily visualize the movie as I moved through the book.

Having the opportunity to interview the author, I find him to be as interesting and diverse as the story he has written.

November Hanson, Host of Voice of the People Radio

Reading Auslander was like being on a learning vacation. It is one of those books that you don't want to put down. I felt lost in a world of intrique and action with real characters living real lives. Mr Kelley not only knows his history but digs into parts of it that few know about and fewer seem to talk about. This novel was not only educational it thrills the reader with international deception, nail biting rescues and people you learn to love and cheer for. Mr Kelley has a gift for writing that captures the reader with a wonderful story based on historical events. He injects important facts (the pockets of resistance groups all over Europe and the role and lives of African Americans during this era often overlooked in history books yet vital to our understanding of the whole. He brings to light the untold story of African Americans who fought for America and yet were forced to live as second class citizens for that same country. He reports on the many people in Europe who hated and fought against facism. He tells these truths through people you feel you know..their struggles are human struggles but their convictions and choices make them people who inspire you to be a better human being. Vince is honest and lives by conviction. His intelligence and talents often made me wonder if he was the WWII African American James Bond we never knew about?!) This really is good American History and should be a part of our US History reading list in high schools all over the country. Thank you Mr Kelley. I am waiting with white knuckles for the sequel!!

I have to admit that I am a friend of the author, but being as objective as possible this book was a page-turner!! I lost a lot of sleep for about 4 nights enjoying this book. This is Louis Kelley's freshman novel and is a fantastic foundation for many more to come. Try it and you won't regret it!

Lewis Kelley has written a book that is historical fiction at its best and that deserves better editing by his publisher. You feel like the story could be happening today, but you gain insight into the times that both reveal and shape the righteous character of Black people in this book, even though the characters are living in a time of war. Vince LaSalle is heroic in his intellectual and physical strength and I like that the author brings authentic historical knowledge to Vince's exploits. Too many times the stories of Black soldiers who played significant roles in winning battles and wars have been written out of our mainstream history books. It's refreshing to read an author who knows that history but who can weave such an engrossing fictional tale. I'm also grateful that Vince and Vierna represent more of the type of Black person that I know on an everyday basis rather than the "Black types" that are much more commonly presented in stereotypical media images and stories today and historically.

Vince and Vierna are such a "power couple" (and what restraint they have!). Thank goodness we have a book that isn't ashamed to demonstrate how deeply Black people love and rely on one another. At the same time, Kelley does a great job of presenting how much European people do accept people "on the content of their character" and are befuddled by U.S. racism toward their own.

I like the play on words of "Auslander" meaning "foreigner" and Vince being a literal foreigner when he's overseas and that he's CONSIDERED a foreigner in his own country.

The last page is such a cliffhanger. A second book has GOT to come out soon. Plus, I want to know more of the story about Vince's brother. He and his platoon (?) have accomplished some amazing things. What's it going to be like for him after the war and back in the States?

This book is a great accomplishment because it successfully merges so many complex themes: social commentary that reveals rather than preaches, romance, characters who grow and evolve, riveting action (it "sizzles" and is also a thriller), and an unstoppable hero who will get "down and dirty" so that the team will survive. What Vince does, in what I hope will be the first in several books with him in them, is a great metaphor for what Black people have meant to this country and the world: he rises above ugly circumstance and takes everyone he touches with him. More power to Lewis Kelley for writing this book.

You should read it for the enjoyment of it, and because it will give you hope and understanding of the best in human beings, and particularly Black people. Don't get me wrong though this is an "everybody wins" book : whether you're Black, White, Asian, Indian or Latino in origin you're going to learn something good about Black people when you read this book and every little bit we can learn about ANY people will help us all move forward as a society and world community.

I think it's the kind of literature we need in the world today. We either move forward in understanding or we're going to tear each other apart. Good books help build understanding and then people have a better sense of how to work together. That's the kind of book Lewis Kelley wrote, and I'm glad to recommend it highly. I tell everyone I know that they should read it.

AUSLANDER is the story of the struggles and triumphs of a black man during World War II. The main character is Army First Lietenant Vince LaSalle who is an over-achieving and honorable soldier. Although the story is fiction, the social situations make for an excellent historical analysis of the struggles and triumphs of black soldiers participating in a war on a Jim Crow basis. The author excellently explores the complexities of race relations among soldiers in the armed forces during the war. The struggles of black soldiers trying to maintain sanity, while having to deal with racism among other soldiers, superiors and civilians is cleverly interwoven in the fabric of the story.

AUSLANDER begins with LaSalle and his fiancée Vierna Lillis spending their final day together in Harlem before he is to go to Europe to join his troops in fighting the war. Almost immediately on the ship traveling toward Europe, LaSalle encounters white soldiers who underestimate his intelligence and integrity. This sets the scene for the same theme to be played throughout the book. Once in Europe, LaSalle briefly joins his troop, only to be quickly recruited by a top-secret military group.

After proving himself more than capable of being part of the special operations team, he was not allowed to join because he is black. After his departure from the group, they are taken captive by the enemy and sent to Germany to be questioned and possibly executed. The trainer of the special agent group realizes the only soldier potentially capable of rescuing the group was LaSalle and he recruits him for a special mission to rescue the agents. While on his mission, he uses all his talents and military expertise to try and rescue the agents, but encounters, racism, betrayal, deceit and deception.

Author Lewis Kelly adds depth to the story by following the Vierna's life. While LaSalle is away at war, she faces her own set of obstacles. From almost being raped by a ghetto drunk, to struggling to focus on her classes at college and dealing with her man being away at war, her story is another within AUSLANDER. In the end, her love for LaSalle will take her across seas to try and save his life.

One of the most important features of AUSLANDER is Kelley's ability to get you to like LaSalle. This is extremely beneficial for the author and reader, because the book is nearly 400 pages long. While reading the book, you want LaSalle to succeed at his mission. This helps you to overlook some of the almost impossible achievements LaSalle makes. I recommend this book for all readers. It is more than just the story of a black soldier's heroism; it is a love story filled with action and adventure.

Reviewed by Granderson Glenn II
for RAWSISTAZ(BMR)

The Bellerophon -- or Billy Ruffian to Jack Tar, who wasn't familiar with Greek mythology -- is, or at least used to be, a familiar ship to English schoolchildren, because it was the ship that collected Napoleon on his final failure and used to be regularly illustrated in textbooks.

In David Cordingly's deft and straightforward biography, the Billy Ruffian turns out to have had an unusually interesting career, with even some echoes still reverberating in the 21st century.

Cordingly does not attempt to retell the history of the Napoleonic wars, or even just the naval wars, through the experiences of the ship, but he does nevertheless give a concise review of the naval strategy and most of the important battles. Billy Ruffian took a brave part in three of the most important -- the Glorious First of June, the Nile and Trafalgar.

Billy Ruffian was badly knocked about in all three, actually being driven from the field at the Nile, although only after giving a stout fight to a much bigger French ship.

Although slugfests in the Age of Sail could be very bloody, not many men died in the Bellerophon's fights: four at the First of June, 49 at the Nile, 27 at Trafalgar. Compared with the butcher's bills presented at places like Waterloo and Borodino, seapower was a cheap way of dealing with tyrants.

The heroes of the Billy Ruffian also were true Britons. Although a myth has grown up that European ships' crews were cosmopolitan, one captain of Bellerophon wrote down a unique list of the origins of all his sailors. (Why he did this odd thing is unknown.) Fully half were English and most of the rest Irish, Scots and Welsh. Many foreign places were represented in the crew, but only a small proportion were foreigners.

After the war, Bellerophon was converted into a floating prison, and Cordingly's description of this episode is as interesting as all the war stories.

The part of Billy Ruffian's history that still resonates concerns what to do about Napoleon. The situation was very similar to that faced by the American administration today, and the outcome was similar, too.

Napoleon's status was uncertain. At times he wanted to be considered a prisoner-of-war, at other times not. The British Cabinet was convinced that, whatever his legal status, he had to be put away. In this, they were undoubtedly correct.

The interference of lawyers in matters that were beyond the scope of law was then, as now, a danger to innocent lives, and while Bellerophon never ran from an armed enemy, she did flee in the night from a lawyer, who was thought to be carrying a writ of habeas corpus. (In fact, it was only a subpoena in a civil suit.)

In the end, Napoleon went to St. Helena, the Guantanamo Bay of 1815.

"The Billy Ruffian" is a satisfying ship biography, with one exception. It is lavishly illustrated, as might be expected from Cordingly, formerly Keeper of Pictures at the National Maritime Museum. Unfortunately, in the paperback edition the reproductions are too small to be examined. The hardcover edition (which I have not seen) is probably, therefore, the better bargain.

This is an absolutley fabulous book and read, for both the knowledgeable reader of the 19th century Royal Navy or the novice regarding that era. There is naval history, social commentary and history, as well as of adventure and seamanship.

A great book to read, keep and read again.

I enjoyed this biography of a 74-gun ship of the line that was everywhere during the Napoleonic wars. He gives interesting information on shipbuilding, life at sea, the Cadiz and Brest blockades, the battles (Glorious First of June, Nile and Trafalgar), the Admiralty and Navy Board, press gangs, prison hulks, Lord Nelson, etc.

The problem is his very sympathetic treatment of Napoleon. It's one thing to say he was a brilliant battlefield commander. But it's inexcusable to fail to add that he was a ruthless tyrant who drenched Europe in blood and kept it at war for over 20 years. After Waterloo, Napoleon surrendered to the Bellerophon and Cordingly seems to agree that the British were somehow hardhearted in exiling him to St. Helena, rather than giving him what he wanted--a nice cottage in the English countryside. What he deserved was a rope at the nearest yardarm.

Instead of the usual biography of a famous captain or battle, Mr. Cordingly treats us to the life of a famous ship of the line - Bellerophon.
From a protracted birth in the slips of the Medway, through the highs and lows of the American and European wars, to an ignominious return to her birthplace, we read the history of the Georgian Navy as written by her commanders, officers and crew,
The author's painstaking research of the Admiralty records and Naval chronicles breathes life into what could have been a simple catalog of events and postings ... first-hand accounts, log-books and extracts from letters flesh out the bare bones of ports and locations, while the background of contemporary historical events puts Bellerophon's role into full perspective - this is the real stuff that Forester and O'Brian drew on to create their adventures.
Why Bellerophon? There are plenty of other famous ships, but none had the fortune to engineer the collection and safe conduct of the most famous and wanted man in the world from his enemies in France. This was to be the high point of a long and distinguished career, as immediately afterwards she was decommissioned and spent her last 21 years as a prison hulk.
An informative and absorbing read.

Veteran scribe of the seas David Cordingly has wrought a spellbinding biography of HMS Bellerophon, "The Billy Ruffian: The Bellerophon and the downfall of Napoleon: The Biography of a Ship of the Line, 1782-1836", one of the most important warships in Great Britain's Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. "Billy Ruffian", as she was know affectionately by her sailors and much of the fleet, played a pivotal role at three of the most important battles during these wars with Revolutionary France and Napoleon's French Empire; The Glorious First of June, the Battle of the Nile, and Trafalgar. At the Glorious First of June HMS Bellerophon fought decisively against a French fleet nearly twice the size of the British fleet commanded by the elderly Admiral Lord Howe, the Royal Navy's most distinguished fleet commander at the onset of the French Revolutionary wars. At the Battle of the Nile, HMS Bellerophon fought a fierce duel with the larger, more powerful French ship-of-the-line L'Orient, the flagship of the French fleet, only to be rendered a drifting hulk with the loss of much of its crew killed or wounded, a short time before L'Orient blew up and sank; an explosion which was heard twenty miles away. And then, of course, was Bellerophon's heroic struggle against French and Spanish warships at Trafalgar, made most memorable by the death of her captain during the battle's climax. Yet the most important episode in her celebrated career occurred at the close of the Napoleonic wars, as the warship which carried Napoleon Bonaparte back to England at the end of his "Hundred Days", mere weeks after his defeat at Waterloo by an Allied army commanded by the British general Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington. Tragically, Bellerophon's distinguished career as a Royal Navy ship-of-the-line would end shortly thereafter, with the last two decades of her life spent as a prison hulk. Coordingly is a captivating, mesmerizing writer who has created a splendid biography of this important, yet forgotten, warship. Fans of naval warfare and of course, C. S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian, will find this memorable book well worth reading.

I've never read any autobiographies from the people of this war until now; I've read a lot of books from people who were in Nam, but never the WWII book era. What a way to start! It's like test driving the Ferrari before the Honda Accord! Truly a remarkable story, full of humor (im some cases I had to put the book down because I was laughing to hard), emotion, technical foot notes, ancedotes, photos, stories, ..death. You feel like your there, like a movie cam on his head, living the day to day turbulent life of a B-17 crew member. Excellent, Excellent, non-fiction because it is just written so well! Even for those of you who are "gun-shy" about books of this era - trust me, you will not be dissapointed. I haven't read anything in the last 3 month's and I finished this book in 2&1/2 days!. Even a 5 Star rating is not enough!!! A superb account of these fine young men who laid it all out on the line for this country. Thank you Veteran's everywhere. Our country owe's you a debt of gratitude it can never repay.

Thank you Grandad, your legacy is a good one. This book has become everything and more than you hoped. I am so glad your memories were preserved in this book. Thanks for being my hero. -Micah McGuire-

This book is one of those rare finds that was purchased because of the title, that actually delivers a strong, well remembered, story about an ordinary man from an ordinary family who becomes part of extraordinary events at the right time. It is a simple story told so well, that you feel like you are flying those B-17s yourself. The style of writing is fast, accurate, and well paced for the reader. The narrative moves along at an almost frightening pace, and the reader is swept up to become part of the events as they occur. I could not put it down. I fully recommend this book for all readers of events during the air war in world war 2. This book is not only worth the asking price, but would be an excellent read, if the price was twice as much. My thanks to the author for having such a great memory, and sharing with the rest of us, those extraordinary times of aerial combat in the skies over Europe during world war 2. All in all, a most treasured book.

Hadley has captured the recollections of Fifteenth Air Force crewman Melvin McGuire and molded them into a memoir with rare power. Bloody Skies should go down as one of the best memoirs produced concerning the World War II airwar.

The reader gets a great look at the daily life of a B-17 crewman. We learn the way in which he lived with death on a daily basis. WARNING: This book is impossible to put down when it gets going.

The book is also a great contribution to the memory of the Fifteenth Air Force. Having been usually overshadowed by the Eighth Air Force, the Fifteenth was stationed in North Africa-Italy, and bombed strategic targets throughout the underbelly of Europe. The Fifteenth absored horrible casulties while bombing infamous targets including Ploesti, Steyr, and Vienna. McGuire and his fellow airmen lived in cruder and more inhospitable conditions than the England-based Eighth.

I have been a B-17 enthusiast since I can remember, and I have had the priveledge of talking with a few pilots as well as touring many of the remaining aircraft; but until I read Bloody Skies, I had never accurately understood what it took to complete a bombing mission over Europe in the height of WWII. Mr. McGuire, through his amazing memory in concert with massive amounts of research and actual written documentation brings the reader as close an anyone could ever hope to become to his war. If you are looking for a thrilling book, that blends raw emotion with factual documentation this is your book. I will never forget Mr. McGuire, his crew, and their sacrifice from this day forward.

When it comes to a true iron horse for the USAF, then that honor goes to the KC-135, it's the kind of aircraft that made all those long range missions possible, wether you fly a fighter, a transport, or bomber, with a KC-135 you could always count on the tankers and the crews that flew them.
If you want to know the history of this fantastic jet, no home aircraft libray should be without this book, depending on the mission needing flown, from the "Plain Jane Tankers" and recon missions of the Raven RC-135's, this book has what you need to appericate what USAF did to fly.
For the aircraft buff like myself, this one book you ought to have!

This extraordinary book deserves a hardcover edition. The available paperback edition is very, very fragile. It's not a problem... but I think you should know that before opening it for the first time ! That being the case, this book is definitely a goldmine, especially for the enthusiast. So buy it, and ... take care of it !

I recently completed reading Dr. Hopkin's excellent book on an unbelievable aircraft. The only thing that the C-135 series of aircraft didn't do was air-to-air combat! The book is an exhaustive, highly-detailed history of every model of aircraft developed from the basic KC-135 Stratotanker, covering the development history of each mission type (tanker, transport, reconnaissance, etc.) and also each specific aircraft modified for its particular purpose. I flew on 3 different models of the RC-135 series for 3 years while in the Air Force and was amazed at how many previous reconnaissance variants preceeded the common types used today. I recommend this book for any military aviation buff, but also for anyone who was privileged to have been a crewmember on such a versatile aircraft over the last 40+ years. The many previously-unpublished photographs nicely compliment the very informative text.

I was a crew member on RC-135s for 7 years and when I saw this book I could not put it down. It gives excellent, well explained descriptions of each variant along with photos making it easy to follow and equally interesting. My compliments to Dr. Hopkins.

As a current aircrew member on the Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft, I am always looking for anything out there with the history of our airframes. This book is EXCELLENT. The data is accurate and even though you might think you have seen or heard of every variant of the 135 out there, after reading this book you'll soon discover there are a lot more. I highly recommend this book as the benchmark 135 book on the market