Growing up with Manos: the Hands of Fate (Four Stars)

Any big fan of MST3K is familiar with Manos, the Hands of Fate. To them, the movie is a spectacularly bad product which made for one of the best episodes of Mystery Science 3000 as Joel and the Bots riff hit about ten jokes a minute at some points. But the circumstances of Manos makes for an amusing story in and of itself.

When I started reading the book and Ms. Jones' description of life in El Paso it definitely struck a chord with me. I have lived in El Paso at three points in my life (although well-after the days of Manos) and was familiar with much of the culture described by her in the book. I even recognized the movie as having been shot in El Paso when I saw it on MST3K... which I watched for the first time during my second assignment to Fort Bliss. Manos reinforced my belief that nothing good ever comes out of El Paso.

Jackey Jones, who played the little girl Debbie in the film, hits a lot of high points in her book: the story behind Torgo's knees, the origin of the Temple of Mild Foreboding (Temple of Doom was already taken), the near strike put on by the Wives and The Big Premier. The involvement of her and her family on the film (her father played the Master and her mother made some of the costumes) put her in a great position to provide her own reminisces of the movie as well as giving her the means to find many of the folks involved with the film. The book is well-written, although to be honest I expected a more tongue-in-cheek presentation but God knows, the truth is funny enough.

Rogue Heroes (Five Stars)

This book looks at the Special Air Service, a unit organized in North Africa during WWII for the purpose of conducting sustained raids deep behind enemy lines and collecting intelligence. From its humble beginnings under David Sterling to its use in France to slow down German reinforcements attempting to reach the Normandy bridgehead, the SAS story is told by MacIntyre in the only way practical: through the stories of the men who were its members. From David Sterling, with the contradictions of his character to Paddy Mayne, a man bedeviled by internal demons and driven to drink, MacIntyre tells the story of men who were often flawed but committed, who were tough but had weaknesses, and who were pioneers in a new field of military endeavor which required new thinking and new tactics. Sometimes, the SAS was treated as a commando unit or some special elite unit and given battlefield roles for which they were unsuited (such as at Termoli) and suffered casualties accordingly. But when given missions for which they had experience and had planned for they could be devastating. They lived up to their motto "Who Dares, Wins."

Lincoln the Inventor (Five Stars)

This excellent book looks at a side of Lincoln which is often overlooked... certainly Lincoln is considered to be to be a man of humor, a thinker and a moralist, but an inventor? Mr. Emerson looks at Lincoln's patent for a device to lift ships over shallow water to be yet another aspect of Lincoln's keen mind, which not only could distill ideas to their basic form but also solve problems in a practical way. Lincoln's personal dabbling in the mechanical arts did not stop at his own invention but continued on to his days as President, when he would speak to weapons manufacturers and other inventors, trying out their devices and identifying flaws in their design or, occasionally, recognizing them as new and unique. This volume might be slim but it explores this side of Lincoln's intellectual life which is rarely discussed today. If only there were an engineering school Lincoln could have gone to!

Air Defence at Sea (Five Stars)

This fascinating book looks at the air defense of warships and fleets. Published in 1988, this book focuses on the weapons and techniques of the time, with a heavy emphasis on sea-based interceptor aviation. It also looks at the primary threat of the time... the Soviet Navy. This is a good study as the emphasis between the two blocs, East and West, was different in regards to the air defense of their fleets. The Soviets leaned heavily on their fleet of Bear aircraft for long-range surveillance at sea while NATO had true aircraft carriers with airplanes which could serve a spectrum of offensive and defensive roles.

Admiral Hill has provided an excellent study (although with very little info on historical development) and has lavishly included maps, diagrams and photographs. He discusses the various missile and gun systems for point defense and the longer-range systems for "area defense." A small book but one with a lot of information. Does not include current developments or geopolitical realities, but still good for the underlying principles.

Trump : The Greatest Show on Earth (One Star)

You would think that a book written by a Village Voice journalist (sic) and recommended by Democracy Now! would be free of bias, providing an untarnished look at Donald Trump from an objective standpoint... but you'd be wrong.

That was sarcasm, for those leftists who had their sense of humor removed before the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

Wayne Barrett is proud of his investigation into Trump's business dealings in the 1970s, before he was a household name. Barrett's articles got him banned from doing interviews with Trump for several years and the author claims that Trump offered to get him an apartment in NY as some sort of bribe. Since Barrett didn't take him up on his supposed offer, maybe it happened... and maybe it didn't.

The book uses the term "Trumpian" and it may be that he invented this term since this is a recycle of a book he originally published in 1992, which is all the more remarkable since this was in the days when Trump wasn't considered an "enemy of the people" by the democrats, who gladly accepted his money in charitable and political efforts (same thing in the case of the Clinton Foundation).

The big problem seems to be that Trump made money and he has a brand. The author goes into detail about business dealings which took place over 25 years ago and makes accusations of "rigging," bribery and other questionable practices (the book is absent of any references, so just like the apartment deal we have to take Barrett's word for it). Even the index of this book is a bit shy at 26 pages, considering the book is 445 pages of long, drawn-out discussions of Trump's real estate and other business dealings. If you feel you HAVE to read this book, buy the 1992 edition for 1 cent... there is nothing new here.

 I review almost exclusively history books (with rare exceptions). I will gladly review any book having to do with antiaircraft or air defense. Get in touch with me for more information. Most of my book reviews are also on Goodreads and Amazon.

MASH: An Army Surgeon in Korea (Five Stars)

Doctor Apel relates his personal experiences during the Korean War... not exactly the same as the TV show (although he did provide input for that program). Dr. Apel arrived in Korea as a newly-minted doctor who was basically called up based upon his participation in a WWII doctor training program for the Navy. Given a commission and an Army uniform he was not properly prepared for duty at a MASH, which saved lives by getting the wounded surgical care as quickly as possible. Apel talks about the work conditions, the use of early helicopters for supply and evac, some of the characters he met while in the Arrny, even the bureaucratic red tape which threatened to stop doctors from saving limbs. All this during the Korean War, a hard-fought conflict which should really be remembered today.

Fallout (Four Stars)

The Great Atomic War continues, with the USSR and the United States exchanging bombs in the early 1950s, before true intercontinental bombers and missiles would make things REALLY hot. Turtledove tells the story from the perspectives of various Soviets, Americans, Brits, Hungarians and other characters just trying to survive as both sides try to win battles going on in Europe and Korea by hurting the other side's cities. While Turtledove does a great job of creating characters there definitely seems to be something lacking in his knowledge of air defense. Radar-guided aircraft would have been a bane to lumbering B-29/Tu-4s, not to mention flak barriers and even flak rockets. Still, a hard book to put down...

A Shadow of Red (Five Stars)

Unlike many works on this topic, which run on the assumption that there were in fact no communists in the broadcast industry, Shadow of Red is an objective look at the actual involvement of the CPUSA in radio and television, as well as those employees who were involved in front organizations cobbled together by communists. Everitt puts the so-called "witch-hunt" in context, discussing the outbreak of the Korean War as a factor in America's attitudes towards communists who openly and vocally supported the same people killing Americans in Asia. Another issue, also not always addressed, was the disillusionment with communism many leftists had after the flip-flops of the 1930s and 1940s towards fascism and African-Americans. Acceptance of the party line meant believing that Finland in 1940 was an actual threat to the USSR and not a victim of aggression. Acceptance of the party line meant hating refugees from the Baltics because they were escaped enemies of the Soviet Union. Acceptance of the party line meant believing Americans were using biological warfare in Korea. People who could be duped into these beliefs were in a position to effect broadcasting at home.

But this book is hardly a homage to the anticommunists of the day. As Everitt points out, the lists produced in Red Channels were based on good information but using an inconsistent yardstick. One person might be on the list simply because they worked on a pro-Soviet movie during WWII, while others with more solid leftist credentials might be missed because they were not radio or TV personalities. And in some cases there were mitigating circumstances or even errors... but no real process to sort out those wrongly accused or to even prevent innocent people from being accused.

The author also points out that the so-called blacklisting was not a government phenomena (although HUAC sometimes did play a role) but rather an attempt by the industry to self-regulate. Most broadcasters just wanted to provide non-controversial entertainment and had no use for anyone wanting to use their microphone as a red pulpit or to justify their politics via their celebrity status. In the blacklist they found a way to avoid these problems, which were bad for business.

One of the best books I have read on the so-called Red Scare. Definitely better than the political pity party pieces which normally cloud the issues.

Polish Armor of the Blitzkrieg (Five Stars)

WWII mythology continues to portray Poland as trying to stop German tanks with horse-mounted lancers. In fact, Poland did have some experience with armor and had several models of half-tracks, armored cars and tanks when the German initiated their invasion in 1939. Many of the machines were at least as good as the armor the Germans were forced to use during their initial campaigns but Poland faced many obstacles in the use of their tanks, including an almost unworkable mobilization system. Jamie Prenatt does an excellent job of discussing the various weapons involved and providing examples of the vehicles in combat. The artwork is first-rate and the book includes great photos of these virtually unknown machines in action. An excellent supplement for anyone studying the Poland campaigns.

Abraham Lincoln: A Living Legacy (Five Stars)

This National Parks guidebook tells the story of Abraham Lincoln from his birth in Kentucky to his election as President. It does this with a well-written narrative and a collection of photos and artwork which illustrates a life more than ordinary. The book also includes some maps and the histories of the three NPS sites associated with Lincoln outside of Washington DC: Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHS, Abraham Lincoln Boyhood NM and Lincoln Home NHS. Although not a huge book, it is a very good guide to have with you when visiting these three sites. I especially like the photos of artifacts which are on display at many of these sites.

 I review almost exclusively history books (with rare exceptions). I will gladly review any book having to do with antiaircraft or air defense. Get in touch with me for more information. Most of my book reviews are also on Goodreads and Amazon.

Embracing Defeat (Five Stars)

Sad to say, this book languished on my shelf for over ten years. I'm glad I finally got around to it since it looks at the immediate aftermath of Japan's defeat: ripped social fabric, corruption, severe shortages, devastated cities, a prostrate economy, physical isolation and military occupation. Dower has done a great job of studying what Japan went through during this period which was many things to many people. He has included fascinating vignettes of people, whether they were virtual unknowns or Japanese who in later years would become quite famous. They added context and substance to the experience of the occupation years.



I've been interested since my undergrad days in Japan's unique history, so I was able to stick with this book despite its formidable 564 pages (not counting notes) but I will say the book is not for everyone. However, for people not even that interested in Japan but who ARE interested in the spirit and ingenuity of people faced with such a national trauma as few countries have suffered this can be a fascinating book. Illustrated with some photos.

Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel (Five Stars)

Prior to the 1973 War Israel scored an intelligence coup which comes around once in a generation: the IDF accessed an agent who worked directly for Egypt's head of state, Anwar Sadat. Code-named "Angel," Marwan Ashraf was able to get quality, timely intelligence regarding Egyptian and Syrian preparations for war. However, for a number of reasons Israel was still almost taken by surprise, showing that even the best intelligence can be defeated by preconceptions and personality conflicts.

Interestingly, I was stationed in Egypt at the time of Ashraf's death and funeral, and one of my jobs was to monitor Egyptian media. There was not a whisper in Mubarak's Egypt that Ashraf was anything but a patriot. Now, almost ten years better, I know better.

The author is very good at discussing the intelligence flooding into Israel prior to the war, but slightly missed the mark in discussing Egypt's preparations for crossing the Suez Canal. Since Sadat had little confidence in Egypt's ability to gain air superiority over the Sinai he was relying on an "umbrella" to protect Egyptian troops on the eastern side of the Canal and Bar-Joseph calls it "impractical" to move air defense systems across the bridges. This was not true for the SA-3 and SA-6 systems, which were mounted on tank hulls which could cross the bridges. Also, he failed to note how the missile systems were integrated with each other, each system compensating for weaknesses in other systems. A minor point but it would have given the reader a clearer picture of the Egyptian crossing.

Bar-Joseph also addresses a topic of discussion among those familiar with Ashraf Marwan's story, that of whether the Angel was actually a double agent. The author demolishes this idea, pointing out how the information the agent provided was accurate but not used to its full effect by the Israelis. The argument that the timing was delayed in such a way as to convince the Israelis that the execution of the Arab plan would never take place, a very risky and unpredictable plan at best.

Overall, a great book. The author repeats the description of Nasser as the "modern Saladin" several times and has an odd use of the word "fire" instead of "assault" or "attack," but it doesn't detract from the content. Book includes photos.

The Civil War Remembered (Five Stars)

Unlike many of the National Park Service handbooks, this volume looks at topics out of the mainstream of the study of the Civil War, or at subjects which are difficult to define or study: the role of women, race, the evolution of the military, border states, industry and economy, civilians, death and dying (just to name a few). Despite the relatively small size of the book and its excellent photos and other illustrations, this is not a "fluff piece." Each article is written by an author who has given the topic some deep thought and even in some cases where I disagree with the premise I still have to give the writer credit for the research they did. Definitely worth picking up if you are interested in the Civil War.

Flashman (Five Stars)

An interesting book. It is written as the memoirs of a complete rogue and scoundrel and in this case Flashman is stuck right in the middle of the First Afghan War and the retreat from Kabul, one of the worst military defeats in history. It's an odd way of writing, since Flashman is not just a coward and a scoundrel but he's a coward and a scoundrel who KNOWS it. The narrative is very engaging, although I wouldn't recommend it for today's college students... they could have PTSD from the politically-incorrect language used.