Books in Action (Five Stars)

This book, composed of three short essays and a list of titles by author, looks at the books produced during WWII (and immediately afterward) as small paperback editions. These book titles were picked for their value in entertaining and educating GIs overseas. The titles include Robert Benchley stories, Zane Gray westerns to Selected Stories of Mark Twain. In many cases, soldiers claimed that these books provided them the first opportunity to really get to know good literature.

This book is a slim volume but if you are interested in this topic it is the best place to start.

With Hitler to the End (Three Stars)

This was an all-right book if you haven't read much on Hitler's inner circle but it didn't include much in the way of new material. Linge, to his credit, did not make apologies for Hitler and refuted the theory (big in the 1950s) that Hitler "didn't know" about some of the crimes committed by the Nazis. As a primary source it is still useful. I thought it interesting that Linge noted when he last saw Bormann running for his life in Berlin and opined that the man was dead... it would be some time before he was proven right in that theory.

We are now on IndieView.... Yay! As you can see, I review almost exclusively history books (with exceptions). I will gladly review any book having to do with antiaircraft or air defense. Get in touch with me for more information.

the Modern History of Soviet Central Asia (Four Stars)

This interesting book looks not just at the Soviet states of Central Asia but also at Tsarist Russia's conquest of this territory in the 18th and 19th centuries and the imperial administration of the Muslim peoples in this part of the world. It then moves on to the October Revolution and the Russian Civil War, which spilled over into Central Asia. Despite claims of being anti-imperialist the communists made a point of absorbing this territory into the USSR, primarily by establishing nations where none had existed before. The Soviet Union chose to create Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kirghizstan and Turkmenistan, states which had never existed historically but rather were based upon linguistic, ethnic and cultural lines. The communists turned these states into economic units without the political consciousness which would have naturally resulted. Political will came from Moscow.

This study can be a bit dry at times but it does answer important questions about how Islam was treated in these SSRs, how centralized planning attempted to reorganize Central Asia to provide raw material or simple products for USSR factories and how the borders of these states were drawn. Includes photos.

the Notorious Isaac Earl and His Scouts (Five Stars)

The need for Union scouts able to track and defeat Confederate guerrillas led commanders to organize ad hoc units capable of moving swiftly through enemy territory, collecting intelligence and conducting hit-and-run attacks. Lt. Isaac Earl, a soldier with the 4th Wisconsin, proved to be an able counterinsurgency fighter and his story is interesting and noteworthy. Earl operated along the Mississippi River, defeating enemy guerrilla bands and smugglers in this area. His raids did much to keep the Confederates from mounting efforts to retake territory.

Olson's writing keeps you involved in the narrative and does justice to this rarely-told story. Illustrated with maps and black-and-white photos.

Rebel Watchdog (Five Stars)

If you are interested in the role of the Provost in the Confederacy this is the book for you. The Provost Guard served the modern functions of CID and Military Police in the CSA, providing railroad security, counterespionage, jailers, and even court martial authority. Radley does a great job of discussing the legal basis for provost martials and the actual practices in the field. He uses examples gleaned from letters and reports to illustrate the way in which the Provost Guard was organized and how they went about their duties.

General John H. Winder, C.S.A. (Four Stars)

A well-written book about General Winder, a U.S. Army officer who threw his lot in with the Confederacy. He was the center of controversy almost from the beginning, becoming the provost marshal of Richmond and the de fact provost marshal general of the CSA and enacting onerous edicts that Confederate citizens came to despise. He was placed in command of all Confederate POW camps, a job which opened him up for serious criticism by the Union. This book does its best to provide an even-handed treatment of Winder. Illustrated with photos.

Ashes of Glory (Four Stars)

This book does a good job of looking at Richmond as the war progressed, from its selection as the CSA's capital to its burning after the withdrawal of Lee's army. The author uses various vignettes to give the reader insight into the economics, safety, morale and population during the war years and as the war turned against the CSA. One of the few improvements I can think of would be to add a map.

Well worth reading, includes black and white photos.

On IndieView

We are now on IndieView.... Yay! As you can see, I review almost exclusively history books (with exceptions). I will gladly review any book having to do with antiaircraft or air defense. Get in touch with me for more information.

Dread and Superficiality (Five Stars)

This strip was a perfect fusion of Woody Allen's quirky humor and comic narrative. I loved it! I've always liked Woody Allen and enjoyed this book. As another book on cartoons and cartooning it's first-rate.

The End of Empire by Martin Bell (Five Stars)

End of Empire is a fascinating look at counterinsurgency warfare towards the tail end of the British Empire, as told by Martin Bell, who ended up in Cyprus as a National Serviceman. National Service was the British equivalent of the Draft, was almost universally disliked and was discontinued not long after Mr. Bell left the British Army.

Bell served in Cyprus while the Greeks residents of the island were clamoring for "unification" with Greece. This idea was not liked by the British, who ran the island as part of the Empire, or the Turkish residents of Cyprus, who were not interested in living in Greece. As a consequence, the Greeks launched an insurgency which aimed at getting the British out. he British responded by trying to hunt down the insurgents, to make it difficult for them to get support from the local populace, and to fight pro-insurgent riots when they broke out. Bell's observations, both from a headquarters standpoint and operationally as a patrol leader are fascinating, not to mention his life with other young National Servicemen who were interested in skiffle music and sports.

Bell also devotes much attention to a book called Flaming Cassock, written during the insurgency but declared secret before it could be published. he book was apparently very objective and as such was not appreciated by the government at the time.