Customer Reviews (1)

Zero defects in this book
I read this concise, short, correct and unbiased book, here in Brazil.Even the also short introduction, writen by japanese ace, Saburo Sakai, is excellent.As an introduction,about the Zero fighter, this book is excellent.If you want many details, there's better options to buy and read about the Zero fighter,even here in Amazon. ... Read more

Product Description
Explores the political and economic factors which contributed to the outbreak of World War II. Includes quotations from contemporary documents and sources. ... Read more

Product Description
These are the complete wartime correspondence between the leaders of the Allied Forces. Released with the cooperation of the Russian government, these revealing and often starkly frank communiques between Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin add to our understanding of the course of World War II an indispensable horde of information. Through them, the reader is afforded a wonderfully intimate insight into the thinking of the three men who led the Allies to victory. ... Read more

Product Description
"The Victory achieved in World War II is one of America's proudest memories and a touchstone of national identity," writes Keith D. Dickson. Of course, the story of the great clash of Allied and Axis powers has been told many times. Here, though, the author tries to tell the story in a new way, as a "chronicle of the daily events that represented the collective experience" of the more than 16 million Americans who served in the war worldwide. Organizationally, the Almanac contains two main sets of entries, entitled Atlantic and Pacific, which deal with strategic decisions in the battle against fascism in Europe and Japanese imperialism in Asia. After each strategic entry are entries for the subordinate theaters of operations, dealing with the activities of fleets, army corps, and the like. These are followed by entries for subordinate geographical regions, addressing specific deployments and combat actions of ships, aircraft, divisions, regiments, battalions, companies and occasionally reaching down to the activity of an individual soldier, sailor, or marine, in stories drawn from the citations for the highest American medal for valor, the Medal of Honor. And so the Almanac offers a complete day-by-day chronology, from the first entry for October 28, 1922, the Italian Fascist Party's "March on Rome" under the leadership of Benito Mussolini, which led to his appointment as premier two days later, to the last entry, for November 19, 1945, when Eisenhower replaced Marshall as chief of staff of the army. This last entry ends tellingly: "The JCS [Joint Chiefs of Staff] initiates contingency planning for nuclear war with the Soviet Union." The Almanac also includes biographies of key American leaders, specifications for all of the weapons employed in the war, extensive maps, and of course a list of the losses, in material and lives. It also includes a complete list of all 464 American servicemen who received the Medal of Honor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Most comprehensive chronology of American participation of WW II
This is the most complete chronology of American participation in WWII that I could find. The book begins with a short overview of before the war and discusses reasons for the war, problems with our command structure, the debate of the Pacific vs Europe first, problems with our British Allies and much more.

After the overview, over 1100 pages cover the daily events beginning Dec 7th 1941 and ending Nov 11 1945. It covers all theaters as well as the action on the ground, on the sea and in the air. The coverage of the air war is especially impressive. Unlike smaller lists, the author tries to be as exacting as possible. For example an entry begins: "The 8th Air Force sends 845 B-17s and B-24 Liberators escorted by 725 P47 Thunderbolts and P51 Mustangs to attack...." On key days like D-Day or during the Bulge, daily entries can be 6 pages long.

After the chronology there are additional chapters on various information like:
Medal of Honor recipients, Biographies of Key Leaders, Glossary of Terms, Weapons, Ship Classifications, Command Structure, US Ground Combat Units, Battles losses in the Atlantic, Enemy aircraft destroyed, Casualties and a Map section that includes 19 maps. The volume ends with a Bibliography and Index. There are a number of photos scattered throughout the volume.
Anybody interested in Chronology of the war should investigate this book; its well done and worth the investment. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Recounts the causes, significant battles, and events of World War II, including background on the major political and military figures of the war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Readable and Informative
This book uses that solid Ballantine mix of readable prose, wartime photos, and useful illustrations. Readers learn about the successes and failures of airborne units during World War II.The author begins by examining the Allied effort in September, 1944 during Operation Market Garden (A Bridge Too Far), when U.S. and British paratroopers secured bridges in an attempt to faciliate flanking German defenses.Then the author backtracks and describes the background and development of Airborne units. Readers learn about German Airborne attacks in the Low Countries and Crete earlier in the war, then later efforts by the Allies, particularly their successful role in the D-Day invasion.There is also brief looks at airborne in other war theaters, at times by other nations.The concise, readable book does a nice job for military buffs and others with an interest in airborne. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A good introduction about this subject
I read this good book, here in Brazil.Many photos;all of them black and white photos.This book is concise, short and unbiased.If you want details, there's others options.This short book is an introduction about the Battle of Berlin.Failures of this book are small.The introduction was made at Cold War times and reflects that times.The book itself is good.Another little problem of this good book are the maps:few and a little weak.

A book short and concise, but with euphemisms
I read this book here in Brazil.This book is short, has many photos(all black & white), concise and correct.The failures of this book are small.One of them is the full use of euphemisms.To exemple, this book doesn't shows, that the order to rape massive numbers of german women, came from Stalin himself.Also the military useless, massive air bombardment against Berlin, by USA and England is almost forgotten.
Even with these failures, this book remains usefull, correct and short.A good choice as an introduction about this subject. ... Read more

Product Description
The Second World War was a classic period in the development and perfection of propeller-driven aircraft. Built during the crisis of wartime, these aircraft and the cockpits within them were marvels of technology, ingenuity and design. Cockpit is the first book that puts the reader into the pilot's seat of these superb classic aircraft.

Cockpit is rich in historical photographs of the insides of dozens of the most celebrated, and feared, aircraft-American, British, Japanese, Russian and German. These vintage photographs and a candid "pilot's perspective" on each interior offer a unique behind-the-scenes view not only of the extraordinary aircraft, but also of the heroic men who flew them. Cockpits depicted include:- Lockheed P-38 Lightning- Hawker Hurricane- Grumman Wildcat- Mitsubishi Zero-Sen- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress- Yakovlev Yak-3- Gloster Gladiator- Messerschmitt ME 262 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Fascinating and unique
"Cockpit:..." is a collection of sharp, full-page color photos of WWII cockpits, accompanied by good quality period photos, a surprising number of which are also in color.A brief description of the aircraft is included along with a few paragraphs by a former pilot or other aircraft expert.
Having a collection of cockpit photos from the major belligerants together like this illustrates the differences and surprising similarities in thinking about the pilot's environment.
The two major gripes I have is that (1)there is only one view of each cockpit, which often leaves out considerable detail of the controls and indicators that are located on the left and right sides of the pilot and even behind him.(2) There is only one Russian type represented, just four Japanese aircraft, and no Italian machines.
Recommended.

Nice
Short summaries of each aircraft history - the brevity of which means there are inaccuracies through editing.

The keys to instruments are generally accurate but not always.One or two artificial horizons are identified as direction indicators when the terms is used elsewhere in the book for the gyro compass.

The pilot summaries of what it was like to fly the type and work in the cockpit are much more interesting.

The pictures - the color pictures are beautifully shot!

Buy it for the pictures.

Excellent Photography
Great reference for aircraft interior from a pilots viewpoint.Excellent photography of a confined dark space.

Little Hallmark Dots
Other folks have weighed in on the content of the book, so I have no need to do that.My comment will center on the aspect of the photography that spoiled the book for me.The crew obviously had applied little colored circular stickers to the various instruments so they could be coded for the captions.That was all fine and well, but 75% of the photographs were taken with the stickers still in place.It was sloppy work.Carping, perhaps, but I expected better.The same comments apply to the volume dealing with Cold War aircraft.

Mixed Feelings
It's difficult to rate this because it depends upon what you expected this book to be. I had hoped that it would essentially be a reference for each aircraft showing all aspects of the cockpit with descriptions of the instruments and controls. This it is NOT. The photography is very nice but is strictly evocative and not really illustrative. It shows the instrument panels but in a way that hides essential details that I desire to see. Oh well, perhaps next time :-) ... Read more

Product Description
The drama and tragedy of the Second World War is revealed in hundreds of great photos (many never before published) and a superb narrative by a Pulitze Prize-winning journalist. 720 illustrations. 8 3/4 x 10 3/4. Wings ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Historical Reference Book for WWII
This book is the benchmark for reference books on WWII.Edited by David McCullough, this comprehensive book begins with pictures from before, during and after the war. Barbed wire still on Normandy beach decades after the war, a rusted tank in the water off an island somewhere in the South Pacific, and Japanese children playing near the bombed out ground zero of Hiroshima.There are over 600 pages of pictures, maps and enjoyable insight of the war. Mixed in are letters from important figures as well as ordinary men and women from all sides of the conflict balanced by the incredible talents of important historians such as McCullough.

Although first published in 1966 and out of print for ages, this well-written book stands the test of time.It belongs in every library, public and private, as an important resource for learning about World War II.

WWII in pictures
pictures tell the story best and this book has many. Blitzkrieg to Hiroshima. Never let these times be forgotten.

INCEDIBLE!
Unbelievable quality ... Read more

Product Description
With the onset of World War II, African Americans found themselves in a struggle just to be allowed to fight for their country. Individuals like Lt. General Leslie McNair and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt fought against the military's discrimination, arguing that the nation could little afford to overlook such an important source of strength. Their eventual success took the form of a military experiment designed to determine whether African Americans were as capable as white soldiers. The 784th was one tank battalion formed as a result. Part of an effort to chronicle the history of the first African Americans to serve in armored units, this history recounts the service of the 784th Tank Battalion. Replete with observations and comments from veterans of the battalion, it paints a vivid picture of World War II as seen through the eyes of soldiers who had to confront second-class treatment by their army and fellow soldiers while enduring the horrors of war. It details the day-to-day activities of the 784th Tank Battalion, describing basic training, actual combat, occupation and, finally, the deactivation of the unit. Special emphasis is placed on the ways in which these war experiences contributed to the American civil rights movements of the 1960s. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Well Done Oral History
_784th Tank Battalion in World War II_ is an oral history of one of only three African-American tank battalions in the US Army during the war.The author, Joe Wilson, Jr., previously published _761st "Black Panther" Tank Battalion in World War II: An Illustrated History of the First African American Armored Unit to See Combat_ (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 1999).He is also the son of a tanker from the 761st and a systems accountant in Washington, DC.

The 16 chapters of _784th Tank Battalion in World War II_ discuss the battalion from its initial organization to its deactivation after the war.The author also includes two short chapters on the 758th and 761st Tank Battalions, the other two African-American tank units that served in World War II.As with his previous volume on the 761st Tank Battalion, Wilson has produced an important, useful, and readable book.

Military historians have overlooked African-American combat troops for too long, and it is only justified that they now get their due attention. That having been said, the book suffers from the same problems as all oral histories - namely the verifiability, or lack thereof, of the interviewees' accounts.In fact, Wilson states in the book's acknowledgements, "I make no apologies for any seeming inaccuracies in the combat stories.They are as the eyewitnesses told them, and in the confusion and danger of battle - the `fog of war' - things happen for which there is not obvious explanation."While I sympathize with Wilson's respect for his interviewees and their perspectives, the historian's job is to offer context and analysis - both of which would have greatly improved this book.

With that caveat in mind, I recommend this book for both scholars and the general public.For scholars, it might serve as a primary source for works on World War II tank battalions or African-Americans.For the general public, it is an interesting read on an underrepresented topic.

WW II Warriors
Very detailed information about many wonderful men who served our nation with honor and pride in some of the toughest battles of WW II in Europe, and, in doing so, they had to overcome major local, national and global prejudices and abuse that was present in our world at the time. ... Read more

Product Description
Although 50 years have passed since the end of World War II, there has as yet been no definitive history of that conflict. Existing histories have raised as many questions as they answer: Did Roosevelt have foreknowledge of the attack on Pearl Harbour? Could the Allies have invaded France before 1944? Might bombing the Auschwitz railway have impeded the course of the Holocaust? John Keegan here assesses the literature that has emerged from World War II - and the controversies it has generated - in a book that combines stunning erudition with crisp prose and highly personal discernment.Amazon.com Review
Consider this book a means to an end: much of it is actually abibliographic essay in which the distinguished military historian John Keeganpoints to what he considers the most important books on the Second WorldWar. Anybody interested in the conflict will want to consult Keegan'slist as they add to their personal libraries. Keegan also lays out thewar's historiography, pointing out how much still is not known aboutwhat happened, especially on Europe's eastern front. He makes thesurprising comment that the definitive history of the Second World Warhas yet been written. To the extent that no single person hasexpertise in the dozen or so languages necessary to grasp all of theessential literature on the subject--or the many years it would take tomaster this material--he may have a point. But has he forgotten his ownone-volume book, The Second World War? In any event, this isn'tthe first, second, or third book on the Second World War that you will wantto buy. But as your collection grows, you will find this oneindispensable. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Disappointing but mostly (though not entirely) harmless
This book can be knocked off in a couple of hours and you can glean from it some ideas for what to read next. It could, however, have been done much better. I've read way too many literature reviews in my life, and this one does several things that I tell students not to do when writing one. The main fault is that, after the first chapter, the coverage is so thin that there are only a few titles relevant to each point. Instead of giving a sense then of the controversies -- what historians are fighting about today -- the book feels like, `What the author happened to have read.' You tend to get that whether you want it or not whenever you're trapped into a conversation with a professor, so I can't say I'm particularly thrilled about getting it in book form. (Professors always seem to believe that whatever they've just read is relevant to you, regardless of the topic at hand.)

Instead of the analysis of the literature you'd expect from such a review, you get very opinionated opinions, pronouncements from upon high. The first chapter, which does talk about controversies, tends to conclude each discussion with a breezy, summary dismissal of all views but one and the rest of the book has similar sweeping claims about say, the merits of Churchill. While it's easy to imagine an editor saying that that is exactly what they want, it also makes it something of a poisoned pill. To me, the potentially perfect audience for this book is the teenager who has just discovered the excitement of history and is getting sucked into the drama of what is arguably the single biggest event in history. Whenever someone starts to read about a new field, they tend to be most vulnerable to the biases of the first things they read because they're critical edge isn't yet finely honed. This means then it'll take awhile to realize that some of the assumptions they picked up early on are idiosyncratic, so in this case, they might unwittingly absorb quirks of Keegan's views without realizing it.

Another Great Book from John Keegan
John Keegan is my favorite military author.His knowledge is encyclopedic, and his prose is clear.This book is different from his other books in that it is about how history is written, specifically how books about World War II have changed their tone over the past fifty years.It also covers how the war is reported differently in different countries.

Just a reading list...
With a title like "The battle for..." you might expect an authoritative overview of various viewpoints regarding some of the contentious and even elusive events and actions of World War two. This ain't that. John Keegan is the best military historian I know, and I've read about a dozen of his books. But this is just a list of suggested reading and would've made a useful appendix to one of his other wonderful books.

Great Bibliographic Essay
"The Battle For History" by John Keegan.
Subtitled:"Re-fighting World War II".
Vintage Books, Random House, New York. 1996.

If you have ever taken a course in History, you know what a bibliographic essay is.The professor assigns an obscure episode in the events of some small country and then you have to "research" the events, find credible references and write a literate paper telling all about it.You think that you're done when you hit "Return" on the computer and the paper is complete.Or is it? Nope, the prof wants a bibliographic essay, which is a list of books and articles consulted, and your estimation of the "correctness" or value of each reference.I think that the teachers thought up bibliographic essays so that the student could not plagiarize just one book and submit it as the student's own paper.

So, with this preamble, you can see that I would be apprehensive when I picked up John Keegan's little book,(only 128 pages), which is fundamentally a bibliographic essay on the Second World War.But, this book is a wonderful bibliographic essay.The author jumps right into the heart of the matter in Chapter 1, which is entitled, "Controversy And The Second World War".In this small chapter, Keegan deals with the works of the controversialist,A.J.P. Taylor, as to the origins of the War, then Keegan goes on to the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union(22 June 1941), and who know what about when and how.Did Stalin really expect Hitler to leave Russia in peace?The next controversy handled was whether or not F.D. Roosevelt knew in advance that the Japanese were going to bomb Pearl Harbor.Then, aportion of this chapter deals with the effectiveness of the bombing campaign is alone worth the price of the book.Excellent work on controversies.

The book then treats the different histories that have been written about World War II, and it is up to you to agree or disagree with the author.There is a chapter on biographies, with an emphasis on the important personalities, ranging from Hitler and Stalin to Churchill and Roosevelt.Of course, De Gaulle and Truman are mentioned.
Page 60:Montgomery"...is unarguably one of the war's great generals".

Keegan dismisses the revisionism of authors such as David Irving and James Bacque. Keegan states that the best thing that James Bacque, (author of the book, "Other Losses" which disparaged General Eisenhower's reputation), could do was to remain silent.With David Irving, on the other hand, Keegan just shakes his head.

All in all, Keegan's work," The Battle For History",isworth reading and re-reading; the book is a wonderful reference work on the Second World War.

Battling for Clio
This book is short.Only 118 pages, and in it Sir John Keegan offers his readers a short introduction to the historiography (the history of history) of World War II.He begins with a chapter on the major controversies in the history of this conflict, and follows with another on the more important books on the war.He then offers chapters on the major biographies, campaign histories, logistical studies, and monographs that examine the occupations of defeated lands.These last two topics are less than exciting and easy for even historians to overlook and Keegan's inclusion of them is important.Sir John's focus is broad, but he tends to only discuss the English-language literature.Still, the vast amount of entries in that one language is daunting.In short, "The Battle for History" is an easy read and a good, quick introduction to the topic.
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Product Description
As countless battlefronts in the Pacific, African, and European theaters called for direct amphibious assaults against islands and beachheads, a small corps of exceptionally skilled fighting men was formed -- the U.S. Navy underwater warriors. Beginning in 1943, these men undertook never-before-attempted missions ranging from eye-to-eye recon of enemy-held positions to staging the demolition of shoreline obstacles and clearing the way for landing craft.

Here, in their own words, are the true stories of these aquatic commandos, whose daring exploits and bravery would pave the way for thousands of American fighting men around the globe -- and whose recolitionary training and fighting methods would evolve into the modern specail forces known as the Navy SEALs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Error on the Cover; So-so Depiction of Ops
What genius puts Naval aviator wings on the cover of a UDT book? The publisher should've gotten something THAT simple correct.That mistake alone cost the book a star in the rating, and it wasn't the author's fault.

However... this is an interesting and necessary read for UDT history, but a little disappointing. A lot of work goes into these oral histories, though, and the author is to be commended.Agree with some of the other comments.Too much training; needed more action.The Naked Warriors is the first book to read on the subject, followed by America's First Frogman and The Water is Never Cold.

World War II Frogmen - Stories in their own words!
The memories of frogmen from WWII, whose heroic exploits underwater doing everything from intelligence gathering to demolition, is captured and preserved for history in this moving chronicle. Author Chet Cunningham once again takes the oral personal histories of old warriors and weaves them into a book called "The Frogmen Of World War II". The title only partially tells the reader what to expect. The author has a way of taking small memories from many men and like a good artist he creates an over all picture of the war from the point of view of these undersea heroes.

Cunningham allows us to sample the life and death situations that faced these men. His book takes us through the end of the War with Japan. He uses his writing talents to pay homage to what was really the birthing of the SEALS many years later on.He captures the emotions and the feelings that these men experienced through careful placement and editing of their stories. The author does not drown out the voices of these men with some ego laced comments but ties it altogether so that all the individual stories flow along as if one just story. It is a smooth transition from one story to the next. The stories are powerful, moving, and at times very emotional and always action packed!

The book is backed up by lots of researched facts and footnotes. Readers will enjoy this book because it is not dry history. It is emotionally alive and full of action. You will find yourself engrossed in the plight that these men faced and your respect for them will only grow. These men were real heroes and the author does well in letting them tell their own stories without much interference.

I fully recommend this book and give it the MWSA HIGHEST BOOK RATING - FIVE STARS!

Great subject, but mediocre execution
"Navy Frogmen of World War II" combines two subjects that have enjoyed enormous popularity in recent years:World War II exploits and Special Operations.The Navy Frogmen were a precursor to the Navy Seals, and were often engaged in some of the most dangerous behind-enemy-lines operations.It's hazardous enough to storm a beach in full combat gear during an amphibious invasion, but even more perilous to scout or destroy obstacles on that same beach clad in only swim trunks and armed with a dive knife.Obviously, these men and their courage are worthy of our attention and praise.The prologue and the comments in between theoral testimonies establish that both the Army and the Navy had equivalent units intended to scout and clear potential landing areas, while also providing some thematic background on their development.

The oral comments themselves are interesting, but there is a tendency for repetition.There are too many comments about training and not enough about actual operations.The author should have edited the comments or streamlined the material to cover the various aspects of the Navy Frogmen operations.As it is, the repetition tends to get tedious. The oral history is a great approach to military history, and the stories of these men need to be captured, but this book could be better.
... Read more