Rhodesian African Rifles (Four Stars)

This book, part of a series of small volumes of important British regiments, looks at the history of the Rhodesian African Rifles, the RAR. While well-written, it only covers the period in which the RAR was organized and later sent to Burma to fight the Japanese. A complete volume (as written in 1970, as this book was) would include operations in Malaysia and in the Bush War in Rhodesia itself. As such it can only serve as an introrduction to the Rhodesian African Rifles.

Building the Wall (One Star)

Well, let's start with the errors in fact and then work our way to the conclusions.
First of all, it is clear that no research was done regarding certain facts. Yes, yes, I know it's a PLAY, but even plays must answer to facts. Besides, there's more than enough fantasy behind the author's conclusions without pretending that the author has even known anyone in the military.




For instance: on page 21 the author implies that Rick (one of only two characters in the play, thank God) was made a Military Policeman after he joined up "because he had experience in security." In fact, a quick call to the local Army recruiter would have provided the fact that the Army signs a contract with the recruit before they ever raise their hand to take the oath and the recruit will be shown a large number of possible options, from Air Defender to X-Ray Technician. The Army doesn't pick the MOS, the recruit does.




Second, Rick says he was stationed in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. After 9/11.




Well... no.




You see, the KSA had mostly Patriot units stationed on its soil in the 1990s and was never really that comfortable doing that. Following the start of operations in Iraq our presence in Saudi Arabia dropped to almost nothing except the occasional exercise involving aircraft. So Rick would never had been sent to Saudi Arabia in an MP company.




On Page 63 we have a discussion about how President Trump doesn't like to shake hands. Obviously the author has never been to a MAGA event, but that would kind of go without saying.




Finally, we get to the fantasy part: by building a wall to protect our borders and enforing our existing immigration laws we will wind up building death camps to kill illegals. Rick is put in charge of one of these camps because he must have been a sergeant or a specialist or something and naturally multibillion dollar corporations are looking for savvy NCOs to run their multimillion dollar facilities, especially if they intend to kill people.




The conclusion is breathtaking. I only marvel that it takes some 108 pages to get there. You see, this is a liberal fantasy in which instead of just CALLING people who support President Trump Nazis we have created a whole series of "future events" which actually results in them BEING Nazis! Oh, and the author gets to denigrate all those things he dislikes: privatized prisons, police (who are all racist), George W. Bush, people who claimed that undocumented immigrants were bringing back eradicated diseases to California (they were), Republicans, the Wall and, of course, Trump. In this fantasy America Trump has been impeached (and no doubt via some means not outlined in the Constitution Hillary is now president) and countries like Mexico are refusing to take their citizens back.




Hm. Could they watch Fox news and realize that some of these people committed heinous crimes after being deported from the U.S. several times.




Really, I can't imagine sitting in a theater and listening to two characters go back and forth, with one mouthing DNC talking points and the other a victim of circumstance but still contemptable because he supported president Trump. Oh, and thank God for the "commentaries," which give us goodthink. Why, if not for this book I might not have been aware that "illegal immigration ended nine years ago."

The Alamo 1836 (Five Stars)

For a slim volume this book did a very thorough job of looking at the Battle of the Alamo and putting it in context with other events in Texas that were happening at the same time. Santa Anna actually had two columns invading Texas, the one he personally led and a second one advancing along the coast. The dictator of Mexico no doubt needed the time he spent outside the Alamo to collect his army, which suffered from crossing forbidding terrain during the winter, when there would be no provisions available.

Hardin pulls no punches when it comes to the key leaders involved, looking at them as men instead of the ideal we believe in. Certainly there were mistakes made all around: had Santa Anna tried to terrorize the Texas populations by giving no quarter to Fannin or Travis's men, but instead made them into martyrs. The collapse of the Texas government due to personalities made central leadership almost impossible. And finally, in his eagerness to catch Houston's army Santa Ana divided his command and left himself, both commander of the expedition and leader of Mexico, in a vulnerable position. The Battle of San Jacinto resulted in the transfer of huge amounts of territory from Mexico to Texan control, and ultimately to U.S. control.

Well illustrated with photos, original artwork and contemporary illustrations.

I am glad to say I seem to be caught up with my book reviews. For anyone interested in getting a book reviewed, feel free to get in touch with me. I am primarily interested in history books, particularly African and military history. If you have a book on antiaircraft or air defense I would be VERY interested in reviewing. Also, I am sympathetic to self-published books but please look at the reviews I do before asking me to look at your work. I have been known to be impatient with errors and poor writing.

Murder in the Zambezi: The Story of the Air Rhodesia Viscounts shot down by Russian-made missiles (Four Stars)

This fascinating book looks at a crime virtually unknown in the United States: the murder of over 100 men, women, and children when terrorists shot down two Rhodesian Air turboprops serving a resort area in Africa. Most of the survivors of the first crash were gunned down in cold blood by ZIPRA guerrilas.




The weapon employed by the terrorists was a Soviet SA-7 man-portable missile. A so-called "revenge" weapon (the primitive seeker could only lock on to an aircraft's exhaust) the "Grail" was more than effective enough to shoot down an airliner, fully-fueled and and heavily weighted, on takeoff. Certainly shooting down an airplane loaded with people on vacation is less dangerous than attacking military aircraft, just as murdering missionaries is safer than trying to fight armed soldiers.
Pringle tells the story of many of the victims, putting a human face on this tragedy. As a pilot, he is also uses his flying experience to explain exactly why the events happened as they did. And finally, Pringle does a good job of explaining the significance of the the air disaster in the last stages of the long bush war fought by Rhodesia.




Murder in the Zambezi brings to light not just the cold-blooded murder of civilians but also the muted or non-existent response by the United States and European countries, all of which should have been concerned by the use of man-portable SAMs against civilian airliners. Illustrated by black-and-white photos and maps. It also lists the names of the aircrew and passengers killed in this crime.

Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War (Five Stars)

Excellent book! As an introduction to the topic, Peglar's book provides insight not just to the weapons available during the Civil War but also to the way they were deployed and the tactics that were used. Like many books produced by Osprey, this small volume packs a punch. The book also looks at the technology of the times and some of the controversy surrounding the adoption of sharpshooting rifles. Peglar also adds his own conclusions as to the effects of sharpshooting had on the adoption of true marksmanship standards in the U.S. Army following the Civil War, something that is worth reading. Includes excellent photos and artwork.

Symbols of War: Pershing II and Cruise Missiles in Europe (One Star)

This incredibly dated book looks at the deployment of the Pershing II and Ground-Launched Cruise Missiles in the 1980s. Pershing IIs were longer-range ballistic missiles designed to support the U.S. Army in Europe. They were deployed because the Soviet Union deployed SS-20s within range of the NATO line of defense in West Germany. You wouldn't know it from this book, which is more concerned about what the Pershing II might do to Soviets in Ukraine, Byelorussia and Lithuania than what the SS-20 might do to Frankfurt-am-Main or Hamburg. Also, the writer either had no idea of how weapon systems are procured in the United States (especially very expensive, very complex systems) or was being deliberately misleading. One very strange argument is that the United States Army would be given strategic nuclear weapons... for the first time!

This book is only good as a nostalgic look at communism and the weak-minded stooges who did their bidding in the various peace movements in the 1980s.

Elvis in the Army (Four Stars)

A fun book, Elvis in the Army looks at the King of Rock and Roll's time as a draftee. He served in Germany as a scout for an armored battalion, a critical job but one that seemed to be perfect for Private Presley for a number of reasons. Taylor talks about some of the interesting things he saw during Elvis's tour in Germany due to his enormous popularity, as well as the ordinary, down-to-earth soldier he got to know. Definitely worth reading if you're interested in Elvis Presley.

Under the Cover of Light: The Extraordinary Story of USAF COL Thomas "Jerry" Curtis's 7 1/2 Year Captivity in North Vietnam (Five Stars)

An amazing book, Under the Cover of Light tells the true story of Lt. Col. Tohmas J. Curtis's ordeal as a captive of North Vietnam following the shootdown of his rescue helicopter. Curtis endured starvation, torture and isolation in direct violation of the Geneva Conventions (which both the United States and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam were signatories) during the seven and a half years he spent as a prisoner. His faith in God provided the resilience he needed to survive.

Both inspirational and heartbreaking.

Scars of Independence: America's Violent Birth (Two Stars)

While this book is well-researched and goes into painstaking detail, it is unfortunate that the author feels a need to place it in a modern context. The American Revolution is relevant to drone strikes? Really?

Hoock's avowed purpose is to make sure that Americans do not continue to be misled into their thinking their Revolution was an exception to the violent nature of revolutions, without really talking about revolutions other than France's, which admittedly IS relevant. He goes on to discuss in nauseating detail specific atrocities visited by both sides on each other and on innocent bystanders.

It's a pity that Hoock does not spend more time talking about the American grievances leading to the separation of the United States from the British. If he decided to detail the victims of economic malaise caused by British taxation policy and a lack of "taxation without representation," if he had discussed the deprivations of the Indians on frontiersmen which resulted in NO punishment for said Indians who were under the protection of the crown (think of the frontier as a "sanctuary territory") and made mention of major disputes with more than a curt mention of the Regulator Wars.

Hoock mentions Tryon several times in his book, relevant to his position in the British occupation of New York and New Jersey. Does Hoock even know who Tryon was? Tryon was the last royal governor of North Carolina. He had a brick "palace" built for himself in New Bern and tried to have the cost paid for by the people, thus the Regulator Wars. Arbitrary justice, relentless taxation, a government far removed from the interests and desires of the governed while failing to provide protection for those same people... is it any wonder that the Revolution was violent?

I also feel I have to take issue with Hoock's supposition that Americans are ignorant of the violence involved in the Revolution. I recall learning in high school about the violence of both sides (minus the actual fighting, which needless to say was violent). Modern Revolution sites discuss the violence seen in these places. Perhaps since Mr. Hoock did not grow up in America he has not been raised to learn U.S. AND state histories.

The author's bias becomes clear when, I suppose out of some sense of social duty, he feels the need to discuss "neoconservatives," "extreme rendition," and "America Empire" in terms right which would make Howard Zinn proud.

Advance copy included typos which may or may not have been corrected. Some illustrations. No modern maps.

The Divided Berlin, 1945-1990 (Five Stars)

Great book! Along the lines of the Past Finder Berlin book about the city during the Nazi era, Divided Berlin looks at the sites involved with occupation zones, the formation of communist East Germany and the Cold War. The volume is filled with maps, photos and trivia. The only disappointment I had was that the book didn't include anything on the World Clock.

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

Elizabeth City, North Carolina and the Civil War (Four Stars)

This book tells the fascinating story of Elizabeth, a small community which found itself caught between the demands of the Confederate and Union governments. The Confederacy was unable to prevent the Union from landing troops seemingly at will and the Union was unable to maintain a presence in the area due to demands in other areas of Northeast North Carolina. Both the Confederacy and the Union competed in the area for recruits and resources but always at expense of the other side. Unionists and rebels alike tired of the seesaw nature of the conflict as both sides turned to a struggle for control and legitimacy and tried to work out a deal to rid themselves of BOTH Confederate AND Union troops.

Very detailed and includes contemporary black and white illustrations.

Panic at the Pump (One Star)

I only got to page 21 before I had to put this book down. The author begins by looking at oil (and criticizing free market economies in the process) and George H.W. Bush (although the way she writes I'm not sure if she thinks she's writing about George W. Bush) but the worst part was where she as much as said something to the effect that Republicans realized in the 1960s "that race baiting wouldn't get them the policies they wanted in regards to oil legislation." Considering that LBJ needed Republican votes to get Great Society legislation through this is absurd. Thank goodness I didn't spend money on this book.

Red Star Rogue (Four Stars)

This extremely interesting book looks at an incident in which a Kilo-class Soviet ballistic missile submarine sank in 1960 a few hundred miles from Hawaii. Piecing together public information and some classified information Mr. Sewell argues that this submarine was actually lost during a rogue attempt to launch a nuclear missile at the United States and he makes a very compelling case. Unfortunately, most historians simply see this incident as an unfortunate accident and the photos and physical evidence which would prove (or disprove) that theory is still classified or in secret storage somewhere.

Definitely glad I read this!

The Prisoner in his Palace (Four Stars)

An interesting book about the detail which guarded Saddam Hussein following his capture by the U.S. Army in Iraq. Young MPs, they did not see the brutal dictator of Iraq but rather an old man who wrote poetry and liked to smoke cigars. It is well-written and interesting, but it never talks about the infamous photo of Saddam in his underwear. Did one of the "Super Twelve" take this picture? If so, what happened to this person?

One thing this book confirmed for me was the location of Saddam's incarceration at Camp Victory. I would run most days when I was there in 2005 and when going by the small lake I noticed a building on its own island with extra security. Unlike other buildings it had no sign for the unit occupying it or its function. I mentally tagged it as a possible location for Saddam.

Stalin and the Red Army (Three Stars)

This book is interesting as a study of psychology, rather than a useful study of the military arts. When originally written, this book came out following the Great Purge, which saw the deaths of senior Red Army leaders. Better men than Voroshilov ended up in the Gulag or shot in the back of the head. So, the sole source for this book is Stalin's writings. It discusses Stalin's role in the defense of Tsarytsin (later Stalingrad) and his security-consciousness in regards to the Red Army. A very thin book and much of the material is redundant.

Rhodesian Light Infantryman (Five Stars)

Excellent overview of the Rhodesian Light Infantry, the rapid reaction force of Rhodesia during its long fight against Marxist guerrillas. The RLI never enjoyed the technological advantages that the U.S. Army of the time could claim, nor was it lavishly funded and equipped as some European regiments were. However, the RLI managed to consistently find and defeat the "terrs" by using the most suitable equipment available and tactical innovations, such as the Fireforce concept. Splendidly illustrated with photos and original artwork, Grant's book touches on virtually all aspects of life in the Rhodesian Light Infantry, including weaponry, uniforms and clothing, manning (volunteers at first, then conscripts), billeting, pay, etc.

Like most Osprey books, this volume serves as an excellent book in its own right or a reference when reading about the history of this forgotten conflict.

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

Rebel Watchdog: The Confederate States Army Provost Guard (Four Stars)

Before there was Military Police there was the Provost Guard. In this book Mr. Radley discusses the Confederate use of Provost Guards in a variety of roles familiar to MPs in the modern U.S. Army: prison guards, battlefield policing and security, POW processing, searching for deserters, etc. However, the Confederate experience also saw the use of PGs to root out spies and disloyalty among the civil populace, internal passport control and the security of transportation assets. Employing whatever units could be spared, the Provost Guard enforced unpopular edicts and were often seen by the military and civilians alike as nuisances. The effectiveness of the Provost went down as the fortunes of the Confederacy went down and reliable units were not available for use as Provost Guards.

Kenneth Radley has obviously spent considerable time researching this topic. His use of first-person accounts and specific Confederate acts and regulations make this a vital book for understanding how the Confederate Army (and in fact the Confederacy itself) was policed.

My Holiday in North Korea: The Funniest/Worst Place on Earth (Two Stars)

I found the book funny at first. The author's quips seemed to be dead-on from what I know of the rogue regime.

However...

Ms. Simmons seems to be determined not to utter the "C" word, the one that describes the totalitarian regime that literally owns the means of production and resembles a Stalinist state, except with medium-range ballistic missiles and an "intranet." It's almost as if she's afraid of offending her left-leaning friends in the United States. Paranoid? Yes. Crazy? Yes. Communist? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO, BE JUDGMENTAL OR SOMETHING?!

So she reserves confines herself to talking about how the electricity is spotty and running water is a luxury (even though the fixtures are all there). You almost get the impression that if these things were fixed then Kim Il-Sung's delusion that he was going to "co-host" the Seoul Olympics would be unworthy of discussion, that Kim Jong-il's mishandling of the famine of the 1990s is just a distant memory and Kim Jong-Un's fascination with nukes and missiles is just a loveable quirk.

And the writing... goodness! Thank God Missileman can't drop the same number of A-bombs on America as the F-bombs Simmons dropped on North Korea... the country would be a radioactive wasteland from sea to shining sea. And really, I don't need to know how you and one of your handlers bonded over your periods.

I have no doubt that if this book had come out this year Kim Jong-Un would come off better than either Billy Graham or President Donald Trump.

Confederate Artilleryman, 1861-65 (Three Stars)

Good book, but most of the information was available from other sources. I did NOT know that Confederate batteries swapped their guns for captured Union-made models at the first opportunity nor that most had no live-fire experience prior to battle. The main draws for having this book is that it concentrates the information on the Confederate Army's artillery arm in one place and it has some great original artwork. I will certainly keep it as a quick reference.

Armistice: The Hot War (Four Stars)

In this, the third book in the Atomic War series, both the United States and the Soviet Union have suffered utter devastation thanks to atomic bombs delivered by B-29 Superforts and Tu-4 Bulls. Lives have been overturned as eastern Europe rises up against the Soviet occupation... not to mention some soviet socialist republics which never really bought into the whole USSR thing.

Once again, Turtledove brings the period to life using the experiences of his characters. Of course, this seems to be a bit repetitious or disconnected after a while as some of the characters have no real contact with the war anymore. Indeed, by the time the book is over it feels unfinished.

U.S. Grenade Launchers (Five Stars)

This book is a thorough study of the 40mm grenade launcher systems carried by soldiers of the U.S. military. Little did I know when I arrived at my line battery and was handed an M203 that a lot of thought and development had gone into the weapon.

The grenade launcher was designed to cover the indirect fire "dead zone" between the reach of mortars and the throw of hand grenades. U.S. soldiers had previously used rifle grenades to cover this area but through the use of grenade launchers (dedicated M79s at first and then later under-the-barrel launchers like M203) the soldier could not only hit a target but could use pyrotechnics and specialized munitions.

Despite the slightly heavier weight of the M203 over the M16A1 I came to appreciate the weapon. I only got to fire the grenade launcher ONCE (our unit had M203s but were not issued ammunition for qualification) and that under the worst possible conditions. Nevertheless, I dropped a round into the top hatch of a target-practice tank, lighting it up for a moment like a Christmas tree. The M203 is a very respectable weapon.

The book is well-written and illustrated with photos and original artwork. An excellent guide to our grenadiers.

The Sunshine Land... Ghana Fifty: Memories of Independence, 1957 (Five Stars)

In this book David Wedd recounts his experiences and observations made during his tenure as a leftenant seconded to the Gold Coast Regiment in 1956. The following spring the British colony of the Gold Coast became Ghana, the first of many former colonies to become independent states. Thanks to notes and journals he kept during the period his book discusses the regimental life of African soldiers and the unique aspects of life in the tropics. Wedd's observation of the transfer of power to Kwame Nkrumah (who would later start another tradition, that of first-elected leaders deciding they need to remain as dictator) is confined to the enthusiastic celebrations and ceremonies related to independence. Later in the book, when he discusses post-coup trips to Accra, does he look at the problems related to Nkrumah's presidency.





What I found most fascinating was the trip David Wedd and James Ankumah (another officer of the regiment) took to Timbuktu. While a fascinating adventure, dealing with new people, French bureaucracy and the difficulties of African motor transport it was a trip that possible in the 1950s that could not be done today. It also says something about the kind of things lieutenants can get away with that field grade officers cannot.





Includes lots of photos by the author.