The Airships Akron and MacOn: Flying Aircraft Carriers of the United States Navy Review

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(More customer reviews)It's a real shame that this book is out of print as it is the definitive work on the subject of the US Navy's flying aircraft carriers. Well written, very well illustrated, it is truly comprehensive. From design, to flight operations, to the evolution of its mission this book covers them all and covers them well. It also covers the never produced follow-up designs that you won't find references for anywhere else, they even have drawings of them.
I don't give many "5"s for books, this one deserves it. The author is to be congratulated for doing this fine a job. This is one of the few books where I wasn't wishing for more detail or information in any section because they are already comprehensive and yet entertaingly written.

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They Sailed the Skies: U.S. Navy Balloons And the Airship Program Review

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(More customer reviews)IN A NUTSHELL: A CHRONICLE OF THE U.S. NAVY'S AIRSHIP EFFORT
Though the story starts out slowly, mostly about balloon races and small advances made prior to the official Navy effort, "THEY SAILED THE SKIES" does get down to some high-flying action, starting with the Hindenburg disaster.
THERE'S MORE:
Detailed accounts of the U.S. Navy's expanded program for convoy security, U-boat spotting, sea-rescue spotting and much more are covered under the section on World War 2. Also, the interesting evolution and development of the non-rigid airships, "G", "K", "L" & "M" are illustrated nicely and described somewhat comparitively, which I really wanted more of, along with accounts of the 'blimp at war'.
BOTTOM LINE: NICE READER - SOME INTERESTING WORLD WAR 2 BLIMP INSIGHTS
A short interesting read, very nice to sail away with for a few hours.

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Mad Jack Percival: Legend of the Old Navy (Library of Naval Biography) Review

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(More customer reviews)Having spent time right around the corner from the West Barnstable, Massachusetts cemetery where Percival is buried and also being familiar with the USS Constitution Museum and the ship itself, I wanted to know more. This book's narrative does provide details about Percival's life and the U.S. Navy that he served in, but they seem a bit thin.
It seems that existing documentary evidence of Percival is sparse, or at least this book leads me to believe that. Percival's 1844-1846 circumnavigation of the world in the Constitution gets the longest chapter, and is only 35 pages long. Little context is given to this voyage, surely the most remarkable phase of Percival's career. According to Ellis, Percival commanded five ships (with gun ratings, which Ellis provides only infrequently): Dolphin, 12, Porpoise, 12, Erie?, Cyane, 18, and Constitution, 44.
At times this feels like nothing but the documented facts of Percival's life strung together as a report, with a focus on quelling any "controversy". West Barnstable resident Ellis certainly did a great deal of serious research, but I was hoping for something more than just a book length vindication of the charges of dishonesty David H. Long makes in his Percival biography (the only other full length treatment of the subject).

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Morning glory: A history of the Imperial Japanese Navy Review

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(More customer reviews)The reference sources and archves were well used for the subjects he has covered here, but he makes no aattempt to reconcile himself to the realities of the case by using current reference sources such as Janes', such that when we get into areas of real revelation, he is all at sea. For instance a basic misunderstanding of the prewar terminology of Cruiser and Battleship, and even the relevance of it, leaves him with 2 battleships and a cruiser in Vladivostok harbour, rather than the 2 wonderful large pre-1905 vintage cruisers photographed and described by such as Frances Farmborough [ search Amazon!] and by the heavy hitters and such writers such as Dobson's: the Day we almost bombed Moscow. Again and again he takes you to interseting sources: look at the Tsingtau bombardments, for example, and yet the depiction leaves you fumbling, determined to get into the manuscript sources to ensure that is what really happened.
There is so much here to spark off the imagination, but for the serious researcher it is a caution: check, check,check.

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San Diego's Navy: An Illustrated History Review

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(More customer reviews)This illustrated history of the California coastal navy will intrigue any with a special affection for either Southern California or the Navy: San Diego's Navy provides over a hundred fifty years of maritime history and traces a relationship between the city and the navy which began during the opening days of the Mexican War and continues to modern times. Anticipate many black and white photos, a centerfold of color photos, and much detail on San Diego.

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San Diego's popular standing as the quintessential "Navy Town" is only part of a rich and vibrant maritime history that has defined a unique partnership between Navy and city for more than one hundred fifty years. Beginning with its intrepid seizure of the city during the opening days of the Mexican War, the Navy has been fully entwined within the activities of this energetic metropolis, each sharing in advantages bestowed by the other. San Diego skies have witnessed the birth of naval aviation and San Diego waters the perfection of aircraft carrier and destroyer tactics. San Diego has also served as the Navy's technology crucible for more than seventy-five years with such advances as radio, sonar, cruise missiles, and modern Information Technology helping to transform the city into the high-tech powerhouse it is today.The generously illustrated book tells the intriguing story of how a reluctant Navy department slowly realized San Diego's attributes and then took bold action to consolidate its position. A parade of rousing personalities that include plucky congressmen, activist local officials, insightful naval officers, and other San Diegans, highlight the pages. This discerning history provides a sweeping and long overdue view of the city and base that has influenced the lives of countless thousands of American Navy men and women and their families.

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The Sailing Navy, 1775-1854 (The U.S. Navy Warship Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)I good reference sours for early navy ships of the US Navy. As a shelf book i prize it highly I am familar with Paul Silvertstone for the naval Photos obtained from him in earlier years.

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Kriegsmarine: The Illustrated History of the German Navy in WWII Review

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(More customer reviews)IN A NUTSHELL: INTRINSICALLY CAPTIVATING TOPIC NEEDS TEXT TO MATCH PHOTOS
WHAT IT IS?
Kriegsmarine: The Illustrated History of the German Navy in WWII,
by Robert Jackson, is organized into chapters which deal with a class or classes of vessel. Good illustrations are well integrated into a somewhat lackluster text. There are also a number of errors, most probably due to editing throughout the text. These errors come in several different flavors: Dates of events, such as the launch date of the Tirpitz, strategic spelling, such as 'flnak' when flank was obviously meant, and arithmetic, such as '88mm' guns being notated as '4.46 inches' rather than '3.46'. This type of error abounds and makes it very distracting to read.
READABLE FORM AND EASY ORGANIZATION

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The fourth offering in the series that includes Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and Panzer, Kriegsmarine brings you the story of the naval forces of the Third Reich. Even without a large surface fleet, German ships like the Graf Spee, Bismarck and Tirpitz kept Allied forces occupied, while the U-boat fleet proved a formidable force beneath the waves. All categories of German vessels are explored, accompanied by an authoritative history of the Kriegsmarine.

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