SHIP'S LIBRARY

FIGHTING DIRTY: The Inside Story of Covert Operations From Ho Chi Minh to Osama Bin Laden, by Peter Harclerode. New York, N.Y.: Sterling Publishing, 2002. 625 pp. $29.95. Author Peter Harclerode's book is a fast and furious chronicle of the clandestine and unconventional missions that are the centerpiece of covert operations. He investigates the use of secret armies, including those that were funded by the west to resist the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The book includes accounts of operations in Borneo, Vietnam and Korea. Harclerode explores successful covert operations in Malaya and Oman, and traces the link between the unconventional warriors of the 1980s and today's highly motivated terrorists, who are trained and equipped with the latest western weaponry. With black-and-white photos, 10 maps, glossary, bibliography, and index.

SUCCESS IS ALL THAT WAS EXPECTED: The South Atlantic Blockading Squadron During the Civil War, by Robert M. Browning Jr. Dulles, Va.: Brassey's, 2002. 432 pp. $34.95. In this detailed account of Union naval operations that helped to strangle the confederacy, Robert M. Browning Jr., chief historian of the U.S. Coast Guard, recounts the daring amphibious assaults, battles of ironclad vessels, and the 500-mile naval blockade that helped the Union to victory. Responsible for closing Confederate ports and halting the South's maritime commerce, the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron was one of four Union blockading squadrons that harassed the Confederacy's ships and attacked its forts. With little strategic guidance from Washington, the Union Navy played a crucial role in the North's eventual victory. Browning covers the harassment of blockade runners and the evolution of submarine warfare in the form of the CSS Hunley. An interesting look at a little-known aspect of the Civil War. With black-and-white photos, maps, notes, bibliography, and index.

THOMAS MACDONOUGH: Master of Command in the Early U.S. Navy, by David Curtis Skaggs. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 2003. 296 pp. $36.95. Historian David C. Skaggs tells the story of a largely forgotten naval hero. This well researched and detailed account of a Sailor's life during the 1800s focuses on a range of tactical leadership skills as useful today as in the 19th century. The reader is taken back to the age of fighting sail and the struggle for command of Lake Champlain. Macdonough commanded an American squadron that defeated a more heavily armed British squadron in September 1814, achieving one of the most important naval victories of the War of 1812. Few of Macdonough's personal writings are available, but Skaggs presents a riveting account of how Macdonough stopped the British at the Battle of Plattsburgh. Skaggs also covers Macdonough's career after the victory that made him famous. With 11 illustrations, two black-and-white photographs, four maps, chronology, notes, bibliography, and index.

NONTRADITIONAL WARFARE: Twenty-First-Century Threats and Responses, edited by William R. Schilling. Dulles, Va.: Brassey's, 2002. 347 pp. $24.95. William Schilling takes on the daunting task of editing 30 essays from an array of scientists, engineers, and defense experts. The essays cover such topics as: Threats and Risks in the New Century, Operations in the Nontraditional Warfare Environment, Emergency Management in Hostile Environments, Models and Tools for Addressing Nontraditional Warfare, Institutional Responses to Nontraditional Warfare, and Applying New and Emerging Technologies to Nontraditional Warfare. Schilling's book is an important work in today's international environment. The writing is moderately technical but not beyond the comprehension of most readers. With black-and-white photographs, graphs, tables, diagrams, glossary of acronyms, and index.

TO AMERICA: Personal Reflections of an Historian, Stephen E. Ambrose. New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, 2002. 265 pp. $23.00. Stephen Ambrose, noted author and historian, presents the reader with a beautiful blend of history book and memoir--published just after his death in October 2002. Ambrose weaves the history of the United States with his own discoveries and feelings that the research brought forth. Not a dull history book, this is an enjoyable read about the people who built--and continue to build--a strong nation. Ambrose acknowledges the good and bad sides of his subjects, providing insights rarely seen elsewhere. Whether writing about the founding fathers, Crazy Horse, or the Vietnam War, Ambrose's gift is a clear-eyed and inspirational view of who we were, where we are, and where we are headed. A concise and enjoyable read that amazingly blends 50 years of research and writing with America's history into 19 short chapters.

HONOR, COURAGE, COMMITMENT: Navy Boot Camp, by J.F. Leahy. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 2002. 272 pp. $29.95. J.F. Leahy chronicles the experiences of 81 men and women who make the transition from civilians to Sailors at Navy Boot Camp, the U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill. Leahy made the journey himself in 1966, and returns to paint a vivid picture of a group of young people and their reactions to challenge and adversity. His work explores the hearts and minds of the trainees and sheds light on the controversy over gender integration. Leahy was given unlimited access to recruits from the time of their arrival at Chicago's airport until their graduation from training camp. Their stories reveal much about the quality of the young people joining today's military. Leahy provides a straightforward account of the challenges of boot camp while sharing with readers the stark emotions experienced by the young recruits. His work is a reassuring report about the character and moral fiber of the young men and women who soon will be the backbone of the U.S. Navy. With 33 black-and-white photographs, map, 34 illustrations, appendix, glossary, and index.

ARABS AT WAR: Military Effectiveness, 1948-1991, by Kenneth M. Pollack. Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, 2002. 699 pp. $49.95. Kenneth M. Pollack, who served as a Persian Gulf military analyst at the CIA and as director for Persian Gulf Affairs on the National Security Council, focuses on the armies of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. In this lengthy and detailed overview, Pollack describes how each Arab army developed its current approach to modern warfare within the context of today's political and economic constraints. His compendium describes the capabilities and limitations of the Arab militaries, both friends and/or foes. With 36 maps, three tables, and index.

ALSO RECENTLY RECEIVED:

FIGHTING SAIL: On Lake Huron and Georgian Bay--The War of 1812 and Its Aftermath, by Barry Gough, Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 2002. 264 pp. $32.95. With 29 illustrations, five maps, chronology, appendixes, notes, bibliography, and index.

DRAKE: For God, Queen, and Plunder, by Wade G. Dudley, Dulles, Va.: Brassey's, 2003. 128 pp. $19.95. One of a new "Military Profiles" series. With 15 black-and-white illustrations, chronology, notes, bibliography, and index.

DEATH'S RAILWAY: A Merchant Mariner P.O.W. on the River Kwai, by Gerald Reminick, Benicia, Calif.: The Glencannon Press, 2002. 288 pp. $22.95. With 90 black-and-white photos and other illustrations, appendixes, end notes, bibliography, and index.

MALTA SPITFIRE: The Diary of a Fighter Pilot, by George Beurling and Leslie Roberts, Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole, 2002. 260 pp. $19.95. Reprint, with a new introduction by Christopher Shores. With eight illustrations, and appendix.

Unless otherwise noted, the preceding book reviews were written by Editorial Assistant Sharon L. Gardner.