| SHIP'S
LIBRARY
By SHERRY L. GARDNER
Editorial Assistant
FACING FEARFUL ODDS: The Siege of Wake Island, by Gregory J.W. Urwin,
Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, June 2002. 779 pp. $22.95
ISBN: 0-8032-9562-6. A professor of history at Temple University, Urwin
is the author of many earlier books, including several on George Armstrong
Custer. Although the Japanese siege of Wake Island, 8-23 December 1941,
was only a short chapter of the greatest conflict in history, it had a
profound psychological effect on the course of the long U.S. struggle
against the Japanese aggressors. The spirited defense of Wake Island caused
a major delay in the previously unstoppable Japanese sweep of the Pacific
and helped restore American spirits, still reeling from the demoralizing
attack on Pearl Harbor. Using interviews with more than 70 of Wake's American
defenders as well as research in archival and other sources, Urwin pieces
together the story of the battle from the bottom up, recounting the siege
from the perspective of the enlisted men and junior officers who fought
so valiantly against overwhelming force. His book explains clearly how
the war in the Pacific, combined with the rising importance of airpower,
made the barren coral strip known as Wake Island so strategically important.
Urwin also touches on the impact Wake had on demonstrating anew the combat
readiness of the U.S. Marine Corps--which made up the bulk of the American
fighting force. The contributions of the handful of Sailors, Army radiomen,
and civilian construction workers who helped keep the Japanese at bay
for 16 days are also fully and fairly detailed. Facing Fearful Odds ends
with an epilogue that centers around what is called the "Cunningham-Devereux
controversy"--an interesting final chapter to the story of the brave
men who defended the barren island at a time of maximum peril for their
country. With 50 black-and-white photographs, six maps, appendixes, bibliography,
notes, and index.
BLACK ACES HIGH: The Story of a Modern Fighter Squadron at War, by Robert
K. Wilcox, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin's, Oct. 2002. 320 pp. $24.95 ISBN:
0-312-26916-1. Author Robert K. Wilcox, a former U.S. Air Force information
officer, spent weeks with the Black Aces of Navy Fighter Squadron 41 as
they flew their F-14A Tomcat fighter jets over Kosovo in 1999 in support
of Operation Allied Force. With virtually no help from ground spotters,
the Black Aces devised new ways to pinpoint, identify, and destroy the
Serbian forces that were operating covertly in mountainous regions of
the country. The Black Aces proved their merit and were awarded the Wade
McClusky Trophy--previously reserved only for bombing squadrons. Wilcox
uses his unprecedented access aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
USS Theodore Roosevelt, complemented by interviews with members of the
Black Aces, to describe the preparations for war in the spring of 1999
and take the reader through to the wrapping up of the operation later
in the summer. He discovered stories of courage, fear, success, mishap,
and a remarkable fighting spirit that provides a wonderful backdrop for
the men involved. But at the same time he offers the reader some of the
most compelling and vivid military flight scenes ever written. With glossary.
FURY BEACH: The Four-Year Odyssey of Captain John Ross and the Victory,
by Ray Edinger, New York, N.Y.: Berkley, April 2003. 279 pp. $22.95 ISBN:
0-451-18845-0. Ray Edinger, an expert in polar exploration and frequent
author for Mercator's World, has for many years been fascinated by true-life
adventures in cold climates. In Fury Beach he sets out to redeem the reputation
of Capt. John Ross and tell the story of Ross's infamous voyage to Baffin
Bay. In May 1929, Ross set sail on Victory, the first steamer to brave
the Arctic waters. Ross had long been denied command of a ship, and his
reputation was at stake. The twofold purpose of his privately funded expedition
was to prove that steam power was the answer to navigating the icy waters
of the Arctic, and that a true Northwest Passage did exist. What followed
was a four-year endurance trial as the shifting ice floes, brutal storms,
and extreme temperatures trapped the Victory at Fury Beach. Edinger tells
the story of Ross, his crew, and the small group of Inuits who helped
them to survive. His tale of an amazing journey and the men who made it
is at the same time an extraordinary account of the friendship forged
between two peoples of different cultures in the harshest of environments.
The book is enhanced by rare illustrations of various members of the Inuit
tribe who helped the crew during their stay at Fury Beach. With 27 black-and-white
photographs, bibliography, and index.
OVER SEAS: U.S. Army Maritime Operations 1898 Through the Fall of the
Philippines, by Charles Dana Gibson with E. Kay Gibson, Camden, Maine:
Ensign Press, May 2002. 478 pp. $49.95 ISBN: 0-96908996-6-9. Author and
historian Charles Dana Gibson teams with his wife E. Kay Gibson to produce
this comprehensive and frequently fascinating history of the U.S. Army's
maritime deployments from 1898 through the middle of 1942. The authors
chose that time period as being representative of the era during which
the United States was reaching beyond its geographic boundaries through
and usually because of military involvements overseas. The Gibsons focus
on the problems associated with military movements by sea and the American
successes abroad. They cover, among other historical events of the era,
such topics as the Spanish-American War, the pacification of the Philippines,
U.S. military operations in China, the several incursions into Mexico,
World War I, and the complex events leading up to World War II. Their
book provides a fascinating and detailed look at an often-overlooked aspect
of maritime history. Also discussed is the history of the Army's use of
shipping as an essential element of the broader spectrum of the military,
social, economic, and political framework within which it functioned.
Over Seas was selected for inclusion in the Choice--Current Reviews for
Academic Libraries--list of Outstanding Academic Titles. With 31 black-and-white
photographs, 11 maps, 31 annotated ship lists, 20 appendixes, notes, glossary,
bibliography, ship index, and index.
NAVAL BATTLES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, by Richard Hough, New York, N.Y.:
Overlook, May 2003. 304 pp. $17.95 ISBN: 1-58567-379-X. Distinguished
naval historian Richard Hough has authored many acclaimed books, including
The Fleet that Had to Die and the biography Captain James Cook. In his
latest book Hough presents a gripping war chronicle blended with a study
of the constantly shifting status of the 20th century's four principal
naval powers: Great Britain, the United States, Russia/the Soviet Union,
and Japan. Hough focuses primarily on 14 of the great naval battles of
the century, beginning with the 1905 Battle of Tsu-Shima between the Russian
and Japanese navies--the first major engagement between ironclad fleets.
He proceeds from there to the other major sea battles in the modern era--from
Jutland and Dogger Banks to the hunt for the Bismarck to Midway to the
long-running campaign for control of the Philippines to the final victory
at sea in the Pacific for the Allied powers--to illustrate the development
of naval warfare, from the early ironclads to aircraft carriers and submarines,
in what is a compelling look at what is probably the most important century
in naval history. With 13 black-and-white photographs, nine maps, bibliography,
and index.
ALSO RECEIVED:
STAND WELL CLEAR: More Adventures in Military Aviation, by D.K. Tooker,
Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, March 2003. 224 pp. $26.95 ISBN:
1-59114-871-5. The second book by Tooker in the series of true aviation
stories. With index, and 30 black-and-white photographs.
THE OXFORD ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE ROYAL NAVY, edited by J.R. Hill,
New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, Oct. 2002. 200 pp. $21.50 ISBN:
0-19-860527-7. From the Anglo-Saxon period to the new millennium, the
history of the Royal Navy is presented in the typically thorough Oxford
style. With 200 black-and-white photographs, 16 color plates, 23 maps,
six diagrams, chronology, and index.
A SOLDIER'S BEST FRIEND: Scout Dogs and Their Handlers in the Vietnam
War, by MSgt John C. Burnam (USA, Ret.), New York, N.Y.: Carroll &
Graf, March 2003. 362 pp. $14.00 ISBN: 0-7867-1137-X. An affectionate
testimonial to the strength and courage of America's young soldiers and
their scout dogs during the Vietnam War. With 15 black-and-white photographs
and index. *
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