| SHIP'S
LIBRARY By SHERRY L. GARDNER
Editorial Assistant
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN SUBMARINES, by Wilbur Cross and George W. Feise
Jr., New York, N.Y.: Facts on File, Oct. 2002. 304 pp. $65.00 ISBN: 0-8160-4460-0.
An author of more than 50 books, Wilbur Cross teamed with George W. Feise
Jr. to put together this reference book and provide a complete overview
of the history of U.S. submarines. The U.S. Navy purchased its first
submarine in 1900--a gasoline-powered craft equipped with a dynamite
gun and capable of a maximum underwater speed of five miles per hour.
Today's nuclear-powered Los Angeles-class submarines carry Tomahawk missiles--fired
from vertical-launch systems--and can reach speeds of 30 knots or more.
The detailed entries in Encyclopedia of American Submarines cover submarine
classes; individual submarines (with builder, launch date, and mission
information); battles and landmarks; distinguished figures; key nautical,
military, and scientific terms; and submarine publications. Additional
research resources are included in the appendixes, including a chronology
of important events in submarine history. The book's emphasis is on historical
rather than current events. Obviously, much of the information about
submarines currently in service cannot be told for security reasons.
Researchers will appreciate the comprehensive list of U.S. Navy submarines
from 1900 to 2000 and the lists of submarine acronyms, museums, and websites.
Authors Cross and Feise have put together a well-rounded book that will
appeal to veteran submariners and, at the same time, to the novice wanting
to learn more about submarines. With 90 black-and-white photographs,
nine maps, appendixes, glossary, bibliography, and index.
ADAK: The Rescue of Alfa Foxtrot 586, by Andrew C.A. Jampoler, Annapolis,
Md.: Naval Institute Press, May 2003. 240 pp. $26.95 ISBN: 1-59114-412-4.
Retired naval aviator and former commander of Patrol Squadron 19, Capt.
Jampoler offers an expert's insight into the fatal last mission, in 1978,
of a P-3C crew from a sister squadron, VP-9. Drawing on interviews--with
survivors, searchers, and even the master of the Soviet fishing trawler
that saved the living and recovered the bodies of the dead--along with
recordings of radio communications and other messages, and the squadron's
own investigation report, Jampoler tells the crew's story, from inside
the cockpit of the Orion to the icy waters off the Aleutian Islands,
with both authority and sensitivity. Published on the twenty-fifth anniversary
of the fatal mission, Adak is a tribute to the courage of those who survived
and those who did not. It also is a powerful blend of human drama and
real-life naval operations the end result of which is a survival epic
that is engrossing and unforgettable. With 11 black-and-white photographs,
five illustrations, three maps, notes, and bibliography.
TOUR OF DUTY: 50 Inspiring Stories From Our Men and Women in the Armed
Forces, by Lynne Marie Rominger and Milos James, Gloucester, Mass.: Fair
Winds, May 2003. 176 pp. $14.95 ISBN: 1-59233-012-6. Lynne Marie Rominger,
who grew up in a military family, and Milos James, a U.S. Army veteran,
teamed forces to produce this collection of moving stories. The 50 real-life
narratives included--collected from around the country--are told by both
veterans and active-duty personnel and span four wars dating from World
War II to the current global war on terrorism. All of the stories included
are relatively short and, while providing an easy read, still touch the
reader with their patriotism, humor, and enthusiasm. The contributions
range from tales from the frontlines to the stories of those who were
anxiously waiting at home. Whether the story is of three brothers meeting
far from home during World War II, a Marine adrift in the middle of the
ocean, or an astronaut on a shuttle mission, the personal accounts described
pull together into a cohesive whole to explain--partially, at least--the
noble ethos shared by those who experience military life. They also go
a long way to illustrate both the diversity and the universality of American
service personnel and to demonstrate the courage and devotion that are
present in all of the generations who have served in uniform.
ABOVE AND BEYOND: The Aviation Medals of Honor, by Barrett Tillman,
Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institute Press, Sept. 2002. 294 pp. $29.95
ISBN: 1-58834-056-2. Barrett Tillman, a pilot and award-winning author
of 30 books, was inspired to write this book as a followup to an article
he wrote for Flight Journal. Since 1918, more than 100 aviators (pilots
and crew) from all of the nation's military services have received the
Medal of Honor. Through a combination of interviews with surviving fliers
and his own in-depth research, Tillman presents the inspiring stories
behind the medals--and in many cases "sets the record straight." Some
of the most famous U.S. airmen are represented--Frank Luke Jr., Jimmy
Doolittle, and Patrick Brady, to name but three--but lesser known fliers
also are given the recognition they deserve. In his final chapter, The
Aviation Medals of Honor in Perspective, Tillman discusses the demographics,
combat experience, mortality, and professional backgrounds of these aviation
Medal of Honor awardees, and provides a thoughtful look at the history
of the award and its recipients. Tillman's gripping profiles of their
selfless acts ensure that their heroism will long be remembered. With
88 black-and-white photographs, bibliography, and index.
AMERICAN NAVAL HISTORY: An Illustrated Chronology of the U.S. Navy and
Marine Corps, 1775Present, by Jack Sweetman, Annapolis, Md.: Naval
Institute Press, November 2002. 408 pp. (hardcover) $55.00 ISBN: 1-55750-867-4
(paperback) $38.95 ISBN: 1-55750-430-X. A frequent author for the Naval
Institute Press and a recipient of the Navy League's Alfred Thayer Mahan
Award for Literary Achievement, Sweetman provides the reader with concise
year-to-year summaries--from the American Revolution onward--of thousands
of noteworthy events in the history of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine
Corps. His book is an ideal reference for naval enthusiasts as well as
students and historians--remarkably easy to read and exceptionally well
organized. Originally published in 1984, this third edition of American
Naval History adds information about the decade from the Gulf War through
the turn of the 21st century, including coverage of the end of the Cold
War, Somalia, the recovery of the CSS Hunley, and the tragic attack on
the USS Cole, to name just a few of the major events in that difficult
but also historic decade. Sweetman also discusses the growing role played
by women in uniform, the emergency evacuations of American citizens at
risk in various trouble spots around the world, and the war in Afghanistan.
With 177 black-and-white photographs, 52 line drawings, 15 maps, chronology,
glossary, bibliography, and indexes.
MONGOLS, HUNS & VIKINGS, by Hugh Kennedy, New York, N.Y.: Sterling
Publishing, Oct. 2002. 224 pp. $29.95 ISBN: 0-304-35292-6. A professor
of Middle Eastern History at the University of St. Andrews, Hugh Kennedy
adds this rich text to Cassall's History of Warfare series--edited by
noted military historian John Keegan. Kennedy discusses the history and
tactics of nomadic warfare, examining not only the reasons for its many
successes but also the limits of its power. Nomadic tribes--particularly
those in the Eurasian land mass--gave history some of its most famous
and ferocious warriors, including Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun. From
the Huns to the Mongols, successive waves of nomadic horsemen swept through
Central Asia and wreaked havoc on the civilizations of Europe, China,
and India, carving out empires that stretched over many nations and thousands
of square miles. By incorporating the Vikings into the discussion, Kennedy
is able to explain how it was that the nomads of the desert, the steppe,
and the sea all managed to achieve so much so quickly, and why the era
of nomad armies finally ended with the development of strong national
governments and, ultimately, gunpowder. Numerous photographs, and reproductions
of artwork from or about the nomadic ages, give the reader a further
glimpse into the cultures of the principal nomadic groups. With 80 color
and 70 black-and-white photographs, 21 maps, chronology, biographies,
and index.
THE LAST MISSION: The Secret History of World War II's Final Battle,
by Jim Smith and Malcolm McConnell, New York, N.Y.: Broadway Books, Aug.
2002. 256 pp. $37.95 ISBN: 0-7679-0778-7. Author Jim Smith was assigned
to the 315th Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force, in World War II and served as
a radio operator on Boomerang, a B-29 bomber that flew the last combat
bombing run against Japan. Malcolm McConnell is author or coauthor of
22 books, including many on military history. Together they present a
fascinating and meticulously documented look at a little-known yet pivotal
chapter in history. The Last Mission tells the astounding story of the
war's final bombing campaign, launched by the U.S. Army Air Forces, after
the 9 August 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki. In the just over five days
between 9 August and Japan's surrender on 15 August, nearly a thousand
individual B-29 combat sorties were flown against the Japanese Home Islands.
Smith and McConnell present a compelling work of history and speculation,
combat strategy, and intense human drama. They challenge the reader to
take a step back from long-held beliefs about the Japanese surrender
and offer an alternative scenario that recreates crucial and interrelated
events that culminated in the final unconditional surrender of the Japanese
armed forces.
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YANKEE MARINER: Christopher Prince and the American
Revolution, edited by Michael J. Crawford, Dulles, Va.: Brassey's, July
2002. 288 pp. $26.95 ISBN: 1-57488-440-9. This book--the diary of sea
captain and religious activist Christopher Prince (1751-1832)--was edited
for publication by Michael Crawford, head of the Early History Branch
of the Naval Historical Center. Christopher Prince set out to leave a
record of his experiences for his family; the result, though, was a telling
document that adds significantly to the known background data about the
events, major players, and social effects of the American Revolution.
Though Prince touches briefly on his early years growing up in a seaport
town in colonial Massachusetts, his book concentrates primarily on his
adventures and exploits--on both American and British ships--during the
American Revolution as a naval enlisted man, as an officer of privateers,
and as a master of merchantmen. With 15 black-and-white photographs,
appendixes, glossary, notes, and index. *
|
