Treason (Navy Justice, Book 1) Review

Treason (Navy Justice, Book 1)
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Don Brown's novel Treason is the opening installment in his Navy Justice series, which follows Lieutenant Zack Brewer, a young JAG (Judge Advocate General) officer in the United States Navy. Some may regard this as a literary rip-off of the television series JAG. But Brown himself is a former JAG officer, and his book reflects a great understanding of the United States Military Justice system.

Treason opens with a meeting in Zurich between two wealthy Muslim men who discuss the creation of a new terrorism cell called the Council of Ishmael, which will infiltrate the United States military, creating cells within. Fast-forward seven years: a lawsuit against the military results in the Navy being forced to admit Muslim cleric into the Navy Chaplain Corps.
A petty officer in San Diego releases grenades at a church Bible study, killing eight people and injuring several others. A marine staff sergeant assassinates the Israeli ambassador to the United States during his visit to a USMC base in California. And in North Carolina, a fighter plane explodes over a lake, and some of the residue found in the wreckage indicates the use of plastic explosives.

While investigating the explosion, NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) agent Harry Kilnap discovers that the three incidents are all connected, and Islamic chaplains within the Navy incited all three. Lieutenant Brewer, coming off a huge win in a high profile rape case, is assigned to prosecute the three chaplains and to seek the death penalty for all three. The media begins to bill this case as the "court martial of the century." When Wellington Levinson, a well-known civilian trial lawyer, is hired to defend the chaplains, Brewer enlists the assistance of his longtime JAG rival, Lieutenant Diane Colcernian.
Don Brown is a born-again Christian, and this book does have some instances of characters wrestling with faith issues. But this novel is largely about the case of the Muslim chaplains and their connection to the Council of Ishmael, making this a story that both Christians and non-Christians can enjoy. Treason is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I would love to see this book adapted for the screen as a movie. Brown offers a lot of detail without becoming overly technical. This is a very fast-moving story with short chapters which are easy for the reader to digest.

I am now reading and enjoying Hostage, the second book in Don Brown's Navy Justice series. If you love legal thrillers, I suggest you give the Navy Justice series a read, beginning with Treason. I look forward to more great novels in the future from Don Brown.


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Scouts and Raiders: The Navy's First Special Warfare Commandos Review

Scouts and Raiders: The Navy's First Special Warfare Commandos
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OUTSTANDING ACCOUNT OF THE CLANDESTINE MISSIONS OF THE NAVY SCOUTS AND RAIDERS,THE FOREFATHERS OF THE NAVY SEALS. MUST READ FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN TACTICAL AND SECRET MISSIONS OF WWII.

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The history of the Scouts & Raiders of World War II is the story of the original ancestors of today's elite SEAL teams. As the Navy's first special warfare commandos these highly trained and skilled officer/enlisted boat crews conducted pre-assault recons of landing beaches, hydrographic recons, marked assault beaches, and guided in assault waves from 36-foot Scout boats, rubber boats, and kayaks at North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, Southern France, and Normandy, earning numerous decorations for heroism, including 8 Navy Crosses. In the Mediterranean, S&Rs trained elite units such as Rangers and the 1st Special Service Force, and were assigned to Special Operations Task Group 80.4 and the Adriatic Special Operations Group, working with Allied units supporting Tito's partisans. In the Pacific, S&Rs served as Scout Intelligence Officers, Amphibious Scouts, Beachmasters, and with Underwater Demolition Teams with 5th and 7th Amphibious Forces from Kwajalein to Okinawa and in the Philippines campaign. They served in Admiral Milton Miles' U.S. Naval Group, China, training Nationalist Chinese guerrillas, participating in raids and ambushes and conducting behind-the-lines overland recons, disguised as coolies to escape detection by Japanese forces. Highly trained, skilled and brave, the Scouts & Raiders were the Navy's first special warfare commandos. This book will be useful for anyone interested in military/naval history, amphibious operations and special warfare. It tells, for the first time, the story of the Scouts & Raiders, a unique World War II unit.

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HITLER'S ARMADA: The Royal Navy and the Defence of Great Britain April - October 1940 Review

HITLER'S ARMADA: The Royal Navy and the Defence of Great Britain  April - October 1940
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Amateur British historian Geoff Hewitt was concerned that traditional histories of the Battle of Britain and Operation Sealion - the German plan to invade England in 1940 - appear to give all credit for the British victory to the Royal Air Force, while ignoring the Royal Navy's role. Hewitt argues - with good justification - that whether or not the RAF could Luftwaffe in the skies over southern England was less significant to the prospects of a successful German invasion than the Royal Navy's undisputed control over the English Channel. The author develops two hypotheses: first, that the Royal Navy was the primary reason that the Germans did not invade and second, that if the Germans had been foolish enough to try, that the Royal Navy would have smashed the attempt in mid-channel. The author makes his case in three main sections, the first dealing with a discussion of German invasion capabilities, the second with the Royal Navy's capabilities and the third with the record of air-sea actions in Norway and off Dunkirk as a determinant of how Sealion might have played out. Overall, this book is fairly well argued and an interesting read, although it displays a bit too much British parochialism at times and the level of analysis presented to `prove' his hypotheses is not particularly balanced.
When it comes to the subject of Sealion, most authors decide a priori either for or against. This book is solidly in the "it could never have worked category," which is okay but not particularly imaginative. The opening short chapters cover the status of the Kriegsmarine surface fleet in the summer of 1940 (weak), followed by the evolution of the Sealion plan in July-September 1940 and the capabilities of the Germans to defend a crossing with mines, coastal batteries and U-Boats. German airborne capabilities are minimized and aerial resupply is ignored. The final chapters try to put it all together to assess Sealion's probability of success - as well as attempting to deflate the legend of the Battle of Britain - but the effort is only a partial success at best.
The author does present some very good points, that the Luftwaffe had a hard time sinking moving warships at sea, that neither mines nor coastal guns could effectively prevent the Royal Navy from operating in the English Channel and that ultimately, sea control was accomplished by naval forces, not airpower. I think the author also makes a good argument that traditional historiography of this period has tended to portray "the few" of the RAF as the sole defenders of Great Britain, while ignoring the Royal Navy. Readers will have little doubt after reading Hitler's Armada that the existence of the Royal Navy was a major reason why Sealion was cancelled.
However, the author's efforts to prove that the Luftwaffe could not have inflicted severe enough losses on the Royal Navy in the Channel to enable Sealion are undermined by the lack of real analysis or quantitative assessment. For example, he points out that although the Luftwaffe sank a significant number of Royal Navy warships off Dunkirk and Norway, that the navy still accomplished its mission and that these conditions (e.g. warships stationary in harbor vs. maneuvering at sea) were more favorable than they would have been in the Channel. However, in both these cases, weather and distance to target also negatively affected Luftwaffe performance more than they would have over the Channel in September 1940. Unfortunately, the author devotes much less space to Royal Navy operations off Crete, pointing out that the British intercepted a German convoy and succeeded in evacuating British troops, despite significant losses. In fact, the British intercept of the German convoy on 21 May 1941 was much less successful than portrayed here; only 297 German troops out of 2,300 were lost. He does not mention that British efforts to intercept a second convoy on 22 May were driven off by Luftwaffe bombers. Later, the Germans succeeded in getting both tanks and artillery to Crete. Furthermore, the Germans succeeded in sinking or damaging 26 of the 45 Royal Navy warships operating around Crete, indicating that the Luftwaffe could inflict crippling losses on the Royal Navy.
This author also fails to address the subjective factors that greatly influenced the first years of the Second World War. For example, the British made a great many avoidable mistakes in 1939-42 and the author's assumption that they would detect an invasion quickly and act accordingly are very contentious. In February 1942, the Germans sailed a major battle fleet through the English Channel for 12 hours before they were detected! In 1941-42, the British missed convoy after convoy going to North Africa, including two complete panzer divisions. Thus, the author should have addressed the possibility of the Germans achieving some kind of tactical surprise. Second, he ignores the fact that time and again, the Germans got lucky breaks - often due to risk-taking that no one anticipated - that led to success.
The final chapter deals with the author's conjecture that if the Germans had attempted Sealion, that it would have been blasted to pieces in mid-channel by the Royal Navy and even if a few troops had been landed, the British Army could have handled them. I found this scenario to be premised on the notion of a non-thinking opponent who would obligingly parade his entire invasion flotilla past British destroyers for target practice. Based upon how the Germans modified Fall Gelb and how they adapted to battlefield realities in Greece, North Africa and Russia, I doubt they would have been so dumb. The Sealion plan presented here is the one the British knew that they could defeat, but had it actually occurred - no plan survives first contact with the enemy - the Germans would have almost certainly modified it to get some force ashore and then work on a battle of attrition in the channel, which the Royal Navy could not sustain indefinitely.


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Hitler's Armada examines the aborted German invasion of 1940 in a fresh and original manner by looking past the myths and legends which have subsequently surrounded it, in order to arrive at significant new conclusions by referring back to the actual events.

The book presents fascinating detail of Hitler's Operation SEALION and, by study of its weaknesses, demonstrates that control of the sea, not the air, was the critical factor.It also questions whether the traditional British view of the importance of the Battle of Britain as the key factor in the prevention of invasion is really tenable.

The importance of the Royal Navy during this period, generally overlooked, is brought into sharp focus and, possibly for the first time, the actual dispositions of the Royal Navy anti-invasion forces are presented in detail.The author examines the relative strengths of the two sides drawing interesting conclusions about the inadequacies of the German resources particularly and their reliance on mine laying.

The author discusses the conflict between air and sea power in the months leading up to the summer of 1940, concluding that, at this stage of the Second World war, air power was far from supreme.

The findings of the author may be controversial, but the process by which they are reached strongly supports their validity.



REVIEWS

"Any historian or general lover of history in Hitler, or the importance of the Germany Navy in WWII, will find this book immensely informative, yet still simple and understandable." Nautical Research Journal, 03/2010

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German Mountain Troops In World War II: A Photographic Chronicle Of The Elite Gebirgsjsger (The German Navy at War) Review

German Mountain Troops In World War II: A Photographic Chronicle Of The Elite Gebirgsjsger (The German Navy at War)
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This is it ! If you're looking for a good album book, presenting mountain units of 3rd Reich - look no further ! A must-have in every GJ affictionado collection. From initial pre-war training photos, through icy Norwegian fiords, Cassino hot slopes and Waffen SS mountain anti-partisan actions up to the last fights in the Alps. Kaltenegger is a well-known master of the subject and here his mastery is confirmed !
A MUST-HAVE !

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Under the emblem of the Edelweis, the soldiers of the German mountain corps fought on every front in the Second World War in the tundra of Lapland, in the gorges of the Balkans, on Crete, in the High Caucasus, at Monte Cassino and finally in Upper Italy and the Western Alps, at the Semmering, in Bavaria and Tyrol. Mountain troops even formed part of Rommels famed Afrikakorps. During the war, the army alone formed a total of eleven mountain divisions, plus independent battalions and units. The accomplishments of the Men of the Edelweis are still held in high regard by historians and military experts. Armed forces and special units worldwide use their alpine and combat abilities as an example, for in mountain fighting the weather and the terrain often caused more casualties than the enemy. Through impressive photographs and brief, insightful text, this chronicle offers the reader and extraordinary view into the world of these elite troops, who were always committed where the outcome hung in the balance.

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SKUA: The Royal Navy's Dive-Bomber Review

SKUA: The Royal Navy's Dive-Bomber
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Just finished reading this book and it's an excellent piece of work on a relatively obscure British dive-bomber of the early years of the Second Workd War. Firstly, the author, Peter C Smith is THE authority on WWII dive bombers, if it is possible for an author to "own" a topic, Peter C. Smith "owns" the subject of dive-bombing, and over the past 30-odd years he's produced a number of nicely-written, authoritative books on dive-bombing history, tactics, aircraft and aircrew. In this book, the first and only really detailed accoint of this aircraft (the other available book is Blackburn Skua and Roc by Matthew Willis with a focus more on modelling), he delivers a compelling and highly interesting and well-written history of the Blackburn Skua, the British Royal Navy's only true dive-bomber. The book is the definitive account of the type, and more to the point, a good read - the attack on the Konigsberg could have been lifted from the pages of the old "Boys Own" Annual. An essential for enthusiasts, and thoroughly recommended for those with a more general interest in dive bombing / naval aviation.
The Blackburn Skua was the first operational monoplane in the British Fleet Air Arm and was designed in the 1930's specifically as a dive-bomber, with a fighter role envisages as only a secondary option - but historians ever since have reversed that fact. Replacing the Hawker Osprey and Nimrod, the aircraft first entered service in 1938. It was on strength of 800, 801,803, 806 Sqdrns., as well as numerous second line squadrons. As a dive-bomber, the Skua carried a 500lb bomb semi-recessed under the fuselage, maintaining propeller clearance with swinging release arms. Eight 30lb. bombs could be carried beneath the wing on light series carriers. It was powered by a Bristol Perseus XII of 890 h.p., and had a maximum gross of 8240 lb.. Maximum speed was 225 mph at 6,700 ft., and range was 720 miles. Maximum climb rate was 930 ft./min. at 6000ft.. Although modest by later standards, these figures compared favourably with contemporaneous models designed for a similar role, such as the Stuka, Aichi Val, SBD, or SB2U. Armed with four Browning .303s in the wings, plus a rearward firing Lewis in the observer's cockpit, it could act as a fleet fighter, but this was not it's primary role.
The Skua was notable for many "firsts" in British naval aviation history- the first monoplane in the Fleet Air Arm; the first British aircraft to destroy a German aircraft in World War II; the first dive-bomber to sink a major naval vessel in World War II; the first aircraft to attack submarines in that conflict; and she notched up many other notable landmarks. On 25th September 1939, a Skua of 803 Sqd. destroyed a Do 18 off Heligoland-the first F.A.A. kill of the war and the first British aircraft to destroy a German aircraft in World War II. Skuas saw active service in Norway, sinking the cruiser Konigsberg at Bergen during 1940 and scoring a hit on the German battle-cruiser "Scharnhorst" in the same conflict. Later in the same year, aircraft from 800 Sqd. bombed and hit the Vichy-French battleship Richelieu at Dakar. During the Dunkirk evacuation, 801 Sqd., attached to Coastal Command, flew the Skua in both fighter and bomber roles off the French Channel coast and escorted covoys - and in a previously ignored sortie Skuas dive-bombed and broke up a major German army assault on the Dunkirk perimeter and perhaps saved the B.E.F. Skua's led RAF Hurricane fighters to Malta from the flight-decks of Royal Navy carriers and helped save that island, and in later Mediterranean ops, Skuas fought used successfully as a fighter against Italian aircraft, and unsuccessfully as a dive bomber against Italian ships. A strike against the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in Brest harbour during the summer of 1941 was cancelled, after protracted planning, and with it ended the Royal Navy's front line use of the Skua. Remaining aircraft served for several years as target tugs and advanced trainers in second line units.
With many original photographs and a host of eyewitness memoirs culled from former pilots and observers by the Author, this is the another forgotten and maligned aircraft finally give her true place in aeronautical history. R J Marchant writing in Aviation News said:- "Every once in a while a book surprises, and for me this is it." He added that it was "a truly original work" , that "Peter Smith writes with authority" and "has an infectious style" and that Skua! "is a terrific book". The Nautical Magazine called agreed stating it was "A very good book, I enjoyed reading and studying it, and thorougly recommend it." while The Aeroplane described it as "this excellent book" which gave the reader "a very clear account of this intriguing British aircraft." Aeromilitaria stated "This is a detailed history of the type, which does the Skua justice." Shipping Today summed up by stating that "The book is a fascinating account" and that "the author is to be congratualted on the story of how the Skua earned a special place in naval aviation." The Fleet Air Arm Officer's Association reviewer called the book, "a very fine piece of history" and added "this is both a fascinating read and a valuable book of reference. It should not be missed." Rob Jerrard said in Royal Navy and Maritime Book Review, that, "As with other books by this author, the story is told fully and is the definitive record...." The American Naval Aviation News said that this book is, "...full of wonderful descriptions and lost details". It concluded:- "Skua! is a fine account of a rather unusual aircraft by an acknowledged expert in the field."
If you have an interest in this aircraft, this is an outstanding book, well-written, readable and full of information on the aircraft from design through combat to retirement. At 272 pages, it's not a bad size and the photos are good too.

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The Blackburn Skua was the first monoplane to be designed and built for the Royal Navy in the 1930s. As a result of continued debate, it became a compromise between the Navy's desire for a carrier-based dive-bomber and RAF's preference for a fighter. Despite being the first to shoot down a Luftwaffe aircraft in World War II, early operations in Norway found the type woefully inadequate as a fighter.As a dive-bomber, the Royal Navy put the design to good use from the outset of WWII. It was involved with the hunt for the Graff Spee, sunk the major warship Koln, suffered with great loss in an attack on the Scharnhorst, helped to keep the German advance at bay during the Dunkirk evacuation and attacked the French rogue battleship Richelieu in the Mediterranean.This book relates how the final design was created, how the dive-bombing technique was developed and perfected by naval pilots and traces the wartime operational career of the type with many first-hand accounts.

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The Admirals Advantage: U.S. Navy Operational Intelligence in World War II and the Cold War Review

The Admirals Advantage: U.S. Navy Operational Intelligence in World War II and the Cold War
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An excellent addition to the literature on US Navy Intelligence through the years. As you read through this account, taken from many flag officer and senior civilian interviews, you can understand why the USN has put so many of its Intelligence Flag officers in prominent positions in the intelligence community: world view; big picture; strategic thinking.

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Operational intelligence or OPINTEL - knowing where the enemy is and what he is doing - is crucial to effective military operations. This analytic and historical study provides a revealing look at the development and practice of the U.S. Navy's operational intelligence. The book is primarily the result of an Operational Lessons Learned Symposium held at the National Maritime Intelligence Training Center in Virginia in 1998. Participants included senior intelligence professionals whose mandate was to explore the ramifications of the evolution of naval operational intelligence since World War II. Current practices were also explored with inputs from current practitioners as represented by various fleet and shore commands. Additional sources for the study were oral interviews and correspondence with senior members of the intelligence community. The authors have scrupulously taken the work as close to the edge of classification as possible to enhance its value without being damaging to national security. This path-breaking work suggests lessons for the use of intelligence against the shifting and emerging threats in the future.It also includes photos from a historical exhibit at the Office of Naval Intelligence that chronicles the evolution of U.S. Navy OPINTEL.

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NRSV Standard Catholic Ed Bible Anglicized (navy/blue) Review

NRSV Standard Catholic Ed Bible Anglicized (navy/blue)
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The bleed-through was AWFUL, the print HURT my eyes. DO NOT BUY THIS edition.

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The NRSV is the most trusted, most accepted, and most accurate translation of the Bible on the market and the only nonsectarian Bible created for all churches, now in a special setting for easy reading.

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The Twilight Warriors Review

The Twilight Warriors
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By the spring of 1945, the Japanese had been driven west across the Pacific by the ever-increasing strength of the American Navy. Okinawa, only 350 miles from mainland Japan, was to be the final battle leading up to the invasion of Japan. Okinawa would serve as a major staging area as well as a base for aircraft. But before these preparations could be made, the Japanese garrison needed to be defeated. On April 1, 1945, the Americans stormed ashore. What laid ahead was the most costly naval battle of the war. Author Robert Gandt describes the naval aspect of the battle for Okinawa in "The Twilight Warriors".
I've read several books about the battle for Okinawa, and this one is unique from the previous ones I've read. This book focuses specifically on the naval aspect of the fighting, while only mentioning the land battle in broad terms. Gandt pays particular attention to the kamikaze attacks, the suicide mission of the battleship Yamato, and the numerous air battles that took place in the area. The pilots who flew the planes were called "Tail-End Charlies", due to their status as late-comers to the war. These men also flew at the back of formations, stood at the end of chow lines, and even had their own sleeping quarters called "boys' town".
Perhaps the area of greatest danger was the destroyer picket stations. These ships would intercept incoming kamikazes and radio ahead to the main fleet. The Japanese were soon setting out to destroy these ships, and many American destroyers were lost as a result of the kamikaze attacks.
I felt Gandt did an especially good job of describing the suicide mission of the Yamato. He devotes several chapters to this story, and I was amazed at the possibility of this ship actually reaching the beaches at Okinawa, beaching itself, and firing on the American soldiers and ships. Fortunately, the "Tail-End Charlies" and other flyers sank the ship before it was too late.
This is a fine work of World War II history. The writing is very good, and Gandt has done a thorough job of researching the aspects of the battle. Highly recommended.

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The Two-Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War Review

The Two-Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War
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Morison provides excellent coverage of the role of the U.S. Navy during World War II. However, the coverage is very broad, rating a five star for those wishing to obtain an understanding of the Navy's role in World War II, but rating about a 2 or 3 star for serious students of the war.
There are a number of excellent points to be made about the book: (1) it is easy to read; (2) Morison talks "Navy talk" without apology (so get out your dictionary at times); (3) maps are generally there when you need them, although more camnpaign maps would be appreciated; (4) Morison speaks with authority on the subject since he was really there; and (5) a nice touch: an evaluation, in the last chapter, of the U.S. Navy commanders who had a say so in how the war went.
This is a very fine book for the general reader and those specialists wishing to get back to the "broad picture" or string of events. For the student of the war, the book lacks depth in specific events, and this is certainly excusable since volumes have been written on specific events, such as Okinawa, Tarara, Overlord, the sinking of the Yamato, and so on.

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Morison's 15-volume history of US naval operations in World War II is often regarded as a definitive account. This book distills that material into one volume, and combines historical analysis with the author's personal experience as an admiral in the war.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Gideon Welles: Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy Review

Gideon Welles: Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy
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It was 34 years ago I first picked up this book and have been a fan of John Niven ever since. This book is the best in the distinguished list of Dr. Niven;s writings. Gideon Welles moves from editor to politician to powerful figure in the Lincoln administration and we follow him as fellow travelers on this voyage. This is one book well worth the price for your library.

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Captain Cook's War and Peace: The Royal Navy Years 1755-1768 Review

Captain Cook's War and Peace: The Royal Navy Years 1755-1768
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John Robson's Captain Cook's War and Peace: The Royal Navy Years 1755-1768 is a delight for James Cook enthusiasts and British Naval historians alike. As far as I am aware, up until now (nearly 300 years after the birth of the great explorer and cartographer) all of the numerous publications dealing with Cook brush over the years from his birth until about his 39th year, when he was appointed by the Navy to go to Tahiti to take some astronomical readings, and sail south to search for the fabled "Southern Continent", until his death about 10 years later. (The possible exception to this rule might be the noted biography by J.C. Beaglehole 1974). Now Robson has written a beautifully researched work that he has divided into 2 two sections: Captain Cook's War (roughly coinciding with what is usually known as the Seven Years' War) which follows Cook's professional naval career, beginning with his volunteering to join the Royal Navy in 1755 and following his steps as a warrant officer on various ships, serving under various masters and captains and learning skills both naval and cartographical at an amazing rate. The second section, Captain Cook's Peace, sees Cook applying these skills, at projects such as the mapping of hitherto unknown areas such as the tortuous coastline of Newfoundland, until his reputation brought him to the notice of the British admiralty, which appointed him to the three great voyages of exploration that brought him to the world's notice. Highly recommended for its research and style to Cook scholars and naval historians alike.

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Our Country, Right or Wrong: The Life of Stephen Decatur, the U.S. Navy's Most Illustrious Commander Review

Our Country, Right or Wrong: The Life of Stephen Decatur, the U.S. Navy's Most Illustrious Commander
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Mr Guttridge has written a fine addition to the library of naval history. Stephen Decatur's life is a veritable "Who's Who" of early American Naval History: Preble, Bainbridge, Barry, Perry, Porter, Hull etc. He was there in America's first war with Islamic extremists (Barbary Wars) and was an early proponent of steam propulsion with Robert Fulton. He was friends with Presidents. Many cities, as well as ships, have been rightfully named after him. Guttridge makes it clear in the book that Decatur's life was overshadowed by his apparently irreversible journey to a tragic end in a duel. The magnitude of the tragedy reminds one of the epic battle of Achilles and Hector in Homer's Iliad; Why didn't someone stop the madness? The book reads easily and quickly. I couldn't give it five stars for a couple of reasons. First, the editing grows shaky at points. In the very first sentence of the book, Decatur's famous burning of the frigate Philadelphia is placed in 1807 rather than 1804. It is clear that the author knows the correct year from the rest of the book, making this a typo of some magnitude. We are also told repeatedly that Decatur hates to write. Once or twice is enough, thank you. Second, as is too often the case in military histories, the book suffers from want of any geographical maps or diagrams of sea battles. These gripes aside, the book is a good read.

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To Rule the Waves : How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World Review

To Rule the Waves : How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World
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Arthur Herman's To Rule the Waves is a gallant attempt at a one-volume history of the Royal Navy and its impact on world history. Much of the narrative of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is extremely well done. He also offers such insightful observations as "It is only when we look backward that history assumes a predictable pattern. Viewed the other way around, as it is lived, it abounds in inexplicable turns and strange surprises."
It is, therefore, disappointing that such a fine book should be handicapped by numerous factual errors. Cartagena is not the capital of Venezuela. Napoleon's "crushing defeat" at Waterloo occurred on June 18, 1815 - not June 15. It is also difficult to accept the statement that the Battle of Trafalgar had all been for nothing, even "in a sense."
By the time the author reaches the twentieth century, one has the impression that he was running out of time or patience. The factual errors increase. The King George V class of battleships were not equipped with 16-inch guns to match the latest American and Japanese battleships. Unlike the Americans, the British had to proceed with the KGVs at an earlier date to address the German threat, and they given their unusual arrangement of ten 14-inch guns as a result. To be fair, the author does get the armament of this class of battleship correct later in his text. The Tribal class destroyer had a crew of between 190 and 226. The statement that Matabele was sunk with the loss of all but two of her crew of 4,000 is wildly inaccurate. The ship that assisted Duke of York in the sinking of the Scharnhorst, was the light cruiser Jamaica. This ship is incorrectly described by the author as a destroyer. Admiral Halsey did not participate actively in the Battle of Midway. Spruance and Fletcher executed the plans Nimitz had approved. The Cunard liner that was pressed into service as a troop carrier during the Falklands operation was the QE2. I do not believe that Canberra was ever a Cunarder.
These numerous factual errors inevitably lead the reader to wonder whether there are others that may have escaped attention during a first reading. The fault may be attributable to sloppy research or sloppy editing, but it is there all the same. Moving beyond the realm of fact to that of analysis, I am willing to give anyone the right to his or her opinion, but to suggest that if the Japanese had not sunk Prince of Wales and Repulse in 1941 there might not have been a Vietnam War is simply too much of a stretch for me.

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One Perfect Op: An Insider's Account of the Navy Seal Special Warfare Teams Review

One Perfect Op: An Insider's Account of the Navy Seal Special Warfare Teams
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I was disappointed with this book. Firstly, all `real' missions with the exception of the Grenada invasion are described only in the vaguest terms, apparently to preserve operational secrets. It's lowers the drama and credibility when Chalker describes a mission without even naming the continent on which it took place. Even harmless details like how many SEALs where on a particular raiding team are absent from the accounts of `real' missions.
The breadth of the book is devoted to describing training missions that Team 6 undertook against U.S. Naval bases to test their security. Playing hide-and-seek with security guards and rent-a-cops in training exercises hardly makes for a riveting read.
Chalker also mentions in only passing his experience at SEAL training, or BUD/S, which in the hands of a real writer would easily be worthy of a full book itself. Predictably, he refuses to shed any light on the controversy that landed his mentor Richard Marcinko in jail.
And this isn't an emotional account. We have no real insight into what makes warriors like Chalker tick or the pressures they face. All we know about life outside the Teams is that they drank and brawled a lot. And, oh yet, he got a divorce. (That's almost the way Chalker described it.)
For a more thoughtful and profound look at what it takes to be a member of the U.S. Special Operations community, take a look at Mike Yon's Danger Close. To learn what it takes to become a SEAL, read The Warrior Elite. For an action-packed thriller, stick with one of Marcinko's books.

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A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945 Review

A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945
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Paul Dull's Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1941-1945 is one of those books that is a hidden gem. Few know about it, and it sheds considerable light on topics covered only in musty archives in Washington and Tokyo.
The naval war in the Pacific has been covered by every major historian ad nauseum. Dull, drawing on his knowledge of Japanese and Japanese culture, has drawn his information primarily from the official records of the IJN. This book is a treasure trove of information about Japanese fleet movements, little known battles, and methods of ship to ship combat that both sides used that are glossed over or completely neglected in large histories. Dull is not afraid to criticize Japanese commanders, and assesses Yamamoto, long considered to the be Japan's finest naval officer, to be hesitant, battleship centric, and slow to seek out battle.
This is a phenomenal stand alone work, and serves as a must read for anyone reading about Nimitz or Halsey or the US Navy in WWII. Great appendix with information regarding the names, classes, and fates of all major Japanese surface combatants during the war. Though I am sure there is something we all wish he had addressed(for me the construction and design history of their battlefleet), Dull does exactly what he set out to do. Tell a focused story with new information that has not seen the light of day. For a book published in 1978, it is remarkably fresh and relevant, and was an extremely enjoyable read.

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Piper Reed, Navy Brat: (Piper Reed No. 1) Review

Piper Reed, Navy Brat: (Piper Reed No. 1)
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I just finished reading this book to my 2nd grade students. They absolutely loved the book. We also did a quick extension and looked up the "Blue Angels" on line. It was fascinating and exciting to visit the"Blue Angels" website. The students really liked hearing and seeing the jets perform on line. As a teacher, I loved the descriptive writing style. "The stars became glitter sprinkled across black velvet." We highly recommend this book!

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Black Storm (Tales of the Modern Navy.) Review

Black Storm (Tales of the Modern Navy.)
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In "Black Storm," Poyer subverts the conventional elements of military "thrillers." By underplaying, almost underwriting, the firefights, the political "big picture" background, he leaves room for what becomes a harrowing, deeply convincing, account of men, and women, in battle.
I have no military background at all, let alone combat experience. But Poyer's account of this fictional small-unit mission, by a squad of Force Recon U.S. marines with a Navy missle expert and a biological warfare doctor, during the Persian Gulf War rings true on every page. The achievement is all the more remarkable because his previous novels about the U.S. Navy today have usually been focused on naval and naval air themes.
Poyer captures the strange intimacy of a Force Recon unit, whose members may not even be friends, yet they must be willing to die for each other. As the mission progresses, the squad finally enters Bagdad, and the sense of physical and emotional claustrophobia is almost palpable.
The reader can share in the extreme isolation of these combatants, the constant pressure to avoid detection, to avoid battle, the obsessional nature of the mission objective -- to discover if the Iraquis have created launchable missles armed with a deadly smallpox variant, and if so, to destroy them.
By under-writing the traditional action elements, Poyer lets the characters, with all their flaws and doubts and problems, emerge ever more clearly, and surely, as the focus of our attention. Against all odds, the squad moves toward its objective by all means possible. Over and over again, we're aware of how things both great and small hinge on the decision, the choice of single member of the squad.
Often that is the squad leader, Marine Gunnery Sargeant Marcus Gault. In Gault, Poyer has created a remarkable portrait of the nature of small-unit combat leadership: "Black Storm" could almost (again speaking as a civilian) be a primer on the subject. As the team leader, Gault is continually facing and making life and death decisions, each one measured against the merciless standard of the mission's success.
But Poyer doesn't cast Gault, or any of the characters, in traditionally "heroic" terms. In fact, the character of a sociopathic, if not psychotic, British SAS sergeant, with whom the Marines make contact inside Iraq, acts as a mirror of how the same military virtues Gault displays have the potential to become monstrous.
It is the very "ordinariness" of Gault and the others that is so compelling: young men, most of them, with terrifying responsibilities. And yet..."they soldier on."
In the end we, at least we civilians, are left facing the awe-full mystery of men and women willing to sacrifice their lives.

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