Raven Rock (Five Stars)

Following the Soviet detonation of their first atomic bomb the United States government had to look at the possibility that Washington D.C. could be destroyed, totally and with little or no notice. Thus began the plans for Continuity of Government (COG) to ensure that the government of the United States would go on and, perhaps more importantly, that the United States' nuclear retaliation would be swift and sure.




Graff's book follows the efforts to build bunkers, first in D.C. and later in the surrounding states when the USSR detonated their own H-bombs. Plans were laid to keep the Selective Service System running so new soldiers could be drafted and trained and deployed to fight WWIII. The Federal Reserve printed and stored $4 billion in currency to spend in the aftermath of a nuclear attack. Congress would meet in a secret underground facility under a luxury hotel, ready to pass new laws for a post-nuclear USA. The post office would track who was alive and who was dead... and use their vehicles to transport casualties.




Using declassified material, interviews with personnel involved in COG planning and those who were to participate in emergency plans, Raven Rock discusses not just the plans to preserve the government but the extraordinary measures in place to ensure that U.S. nuclear weapons would be available to hit back. When even underground bunkers seemed unlikely to survive then airborne options became the means to preserve command and control. In all of this, the efforts to protect the ordinary U.S. citizen fell by the wayside but there were plans for that as well.
A very well-written account of a government we never knew we had. Illustrated with excellent photographs.

The Complete Infidel's Guide to Free Speech (and its enemies) (Four Stars)

Robert Spencer looks at free speech and how it is under assault by leftists and Islamacists using public correctness, threats, intimidation and double-standards. Protected under an umbrella that states "you shouldn't offend this group" verbatim quotes from the Quran and the accurately-rendered Muslim names of terror suspects are squashed in an effort to placate the Islamofascists; on campus snowflakes confronted with ideas they disagree with (or simply can't understand) are protected by limiting the dissemination of such ideas to "Free Speech Areas," also known as liberal gulags.




We must wake up and recognize that free speech is a cornerstone of our civilization and Robert Spencer does an excellent job of discussing the importance of such speech. He provides many examples of how free speech has been threatened, everything from threatening emails to the producers of South Park to the murder of the Hebdo Charlie staff. And far from defending free speech, those who should be its greatest proponents (artists, writers, politicians, clergy) are almost desperate in their efforts to excuse those who attack (physically and verbally) those they disagree with but even imply on occasion that "they had it coming."




 If we lose the power to say "2+2=4" then we truly are lost.

Shooting Lincoln: Matthew Brady, Alexander Gardner and the Race to Photograph the Story of the Century (Four Stars)

When the Civil War broke out photography was barely past being a novelty. No longer the realm of experimenters, photo studios became the closest thing to a mass media product in the 19th century outside of newspapers. Anyone with a few dollars could go to a studio and get a few pictures made of themselves on carte de visites, small cards with the image printed on them. When war came photographers by the thousands came to get their pictures made before going to battle.




Matthew Brady and Alexander Gardner were the best of these and they had different philosophies about how to cover the war. At first Brady was determined to photograph a battle as it happened, but the cameras of the time required many seconds of exposure and were large and vulnerable devices. Brady's experiences at First Bull Run, whatever they were, taught him that photography would have to be done differently.




Brady sent out teams to several fronts and had them photograph scenes of camp and in the immediate aftermath of battle (being a northerner, this relied on the battlefield remaining in Union hands). Gardner, a former employee of Brady, also went to the battlefields (usually beating Brady and his teams) and looked for the unique and the macabre... and not shrinking from "rearranging" the battlefield on occasion to "better reflect" the nature of war. This was in contrast to Brady's pictures of the site of Lee's surrender at Appomattox and even a photo of Lee himself. Pistor characterizes Brady's approach as "artistic" and Gardner's as "journalistic."




Of course, it was Lincoln's assassination which saw photography really come into its own. Carte de visites of the conspirators were used in wanted posters and distributed to the military who hunted Booth and they were (briefly) used as a measure of loyalty among those interviewed by law enforcement. Gardner used photography to help document the conspirators for all time. Photos were used by artists to create propaganda concemning Booth as well as memorials to the slain president.
Overall, a very interesting study of the role of photography in the Civil War, although not in depth, and a study of two rival photographers. As would be expected, the book is illustrated by excellent photographs.

From MAD to Madness: Inside Pentagon Nuclear Planning (two stars)

This book begins by reminisces of Paul H. Johnstone, a man who began his career in the Department of Defense analyzing nuclear targeting based on an outdated and inappropriate model used by the United States Air Force during WWII. It ends with a painful essay by his daughter which refers to Gorbachev's "move towards conciliation with the West." It almost makes it sound as if the collapse of the USSR was Gorbachev's idea.








What this book looks at is not so much the Pentagon's nuclear war plans as it is the White House policy during the nuclear crises of Laos (!) and the Berlin War (?). Nothing is mentioned of the Cuba Missile Crisis or the 1983 near-war incident. The first half of the book has a lot of interesting information regarding the issues of selecting nuclear targets, the problems of fallout and the difficulty of defining "acceptable losses" to the U.S. in the event of a nuclear war. This I found useful and interesting. However, when the book went into Laos and Berlin (but not Cuba) it bogged down enormously and just seemed like undue padding. I question some of the "reminisces" in any case, since Johnstone mentions on page 139 how he visited a Nike-Zeus ABM site in the Washington DC area. This would have been patently impossible as NO Nike-Zeus missiles were ever operationally deployed.... money was allocated for such a deployment but later cancelled. From his description he was referring to Site W-64 in Maryland, which was equipped with Nike-Hercules, and antiaircraft system and NOT an ABM system. A little thing, but it makes me wonder how many other things he "remembered wrong."

I review almost exclusively history books (with rare exceptions). I will eagerly review any book having to do with antiaircraft or air defense. I am also interested in books on Africa, but again, mostly the history of the continent, especially in the 20th Century. Get in touch with me for more information. Most of my book reviews are also on Goodreads and Amazon.

Maid of Baikal (Five Stars)

This is an awesome tale set during the Russian Civil War, when various groups each fought seperately against the Bolsheviks attempting to set up their Godless communist state. A young woman, claiming to hear the voices of angels, meets with Kolchak, one of the so-called "White" leaders opposing the Reds, and at first gives him advice. Later, she leads Kolchak's Siberian army into combat... but palace intrigues begin to come into play.




This alternate history novel looks at what might have been, had those who opposed the Reds had better leadership and were united in their opposition. Fleming obviously knows this period of history and Russia's old pre-communist culture and it shows. He includes photos of some of the historical figures (including the notorious Sidney Reilly) and excellent maps. Even if you are not interested in Russian history it is a gripping tale.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Since 1949 (Five Stars)

This book looks at the development of the People's Liberation Army (and its components) since the end of the civil war which left the communists as the undisputed masters of China. The book looks at the rank system of the PLA and why formal ranks were restored following the end of the Sino-Vietnamese War. It also speaks a little about the Persian Gulf War and the "wake-up call" that it provided to PLA leadership about the weaknesses of a mass conscription military facing a military with a technological edge. The PLA today is a smaller but more professional force. Its equipment is rapidly improving to make the PLA a force to be reckoned with. Although a small book, The Chinese People's Liberation Army provides a great starting point for more research on the topic or good background into the Chinese military. Illustrated with excellent photographs, maps, and original artwork.

The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair (Four Stars)

This book has some great photos from the 1964 World's Fair, including the pavilions, monuments and even the transportation used there. Each photo is almost a window into what it was like to be there. very interesting background on the fair too, although by no means very deep. It probably could have used more photos of some of the exhibits and a map might have been helpful, but overall a great book. Very good supplement if you are reading other material on the World's Fair.

Soviet Paratrooper versus Mujideen Fighter (Five Stars)

David Campbell's book looks at the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and the subsequent fighting between elite Soviet airborne units and the Mujideen fighters. Campbell provides an objective look at the strengths and weaknesses of both types of soldiers, which was a bit of an eye-opener for me. I assumed that only first-class officers were assigned to airborne units but it seemed leadership was an element lacking in the Desantiya units deployed to Afghanistan, especially since NCOs were poorly picked and poorly trained. The Mujideen, for their part, were poorly organized but did have a kind of "mobile force" to supplement the local fighters who would take the initial brunt of fighting. Campbell uses excellent sources to tell the story of both sides in this book. Illustrated with original artwork and photos.

Emory Upton: Misunderstood Reformer (Five Stars)

Although widely misunderstood today, Emory Upton was a West Pointer and a superb tactician who managed to reorganize the way in which the U.S. Army fought after the Civil War. His tactical manual took the U.S. Army out of the business of lining up in regiments on the battlefield to face the enemy in similar formations; instead, the use of better weapons and rapid fire made "fours," squads and platoons important manuever elements on the battlefield. This led to greater emphasis being placed on non-commissioned officers and provided the U.S. Army a basis for its fighting methods in the Spanish-American War and World War One. Fitzpatrick also addresses the misunderstanding regarding how Upton felt about militia and volunteer formations, a misunderstanding (or even a deliberate misrepresentation) of Upton's concerns regarding the poor leadership of such formations and the politics involved in them. Yes, Upton wanted an organization of "National Volunteers" who could supplement the Regular Army in time of war, but he did not espouse the "Prussian Model" of reserves and replacements and he did not believe in peacetime conscription. In fact, the U.S. Army would eventually adopt a uniquely American solution of Regular Army/Army Reserves/National Guards which would provide both the federal government and the states the ability to deal with emergencies and military threats.




A great book. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the changes made in tactical throught and the evolution of such though. Illustrated with photos.

I review almost exclusively history books (with rare exceptions). I will eagerly review any book having to do with antiaircraft or air defense. I am also interested in books on Africa, but again, mostly the history of the continent, especially in the 20th Century. Get in touch with me for more information. Most of my book reviews are also on Goodreads and Amazon.

Not Cool (Five Stars)

It's political commentary that's fun! I thoroughly enjoy Greg Gutfeld's show and find his insights (not necessarily conservative but I'll settle for libertarian) a great read. Oh, and if you are one of the self-centered, self-described "elites" don't bother. You won't like this book and it may make you cry.

Inside Camp David (Four Stars)

Not knowing much about Camp David, this book was a real eye-opener for me. Giorgione talks about the history of the place as well as the role the presidential retreat has played for each administration. Giorgione was in charge of the facility during part of the Clinton and George W. Bush years but he supplements his first-hand knowledge of the place with memories gleaned from other people who ran Camp David during the the Obama, George H.W. Bush, Reagan, Ford, Nixon, Kennedy, Eisenhower and FDR. In addition to being a place for the President "to get away from it all" Camp David has also served as a place for bringing key leaders together to discuss their differences. It includes photos.

Toybox Time Machine (Five Stars)

What a fun book! Toybox Time Machine captures the look and feel of toys of the 1950s thru the 1970s through some great artwork and hilarious characterizations. Much of it consists of parodies of existing products although some of them seem to be all-original.  A great addition to my collection of "art" books.

The Saltville Massacre (Three Stars)

In 1864 the Union launched an offensive to capture the saltworks in western Virginia. The short campaign ended in failure and many of the soldiers of the Colored Cavalry were captured and later massacred by the Confederates.



This rather short book has the distinction of being one of the few works on the subject. While emphasis is on the massacre following the Union withdrawel from Saltville the book never explains the important role salt played in the Confederate war effort. Nor does the book really discuss the order of battle of either army in any meaningful way (I had an ancestor in the 45th Kentucky Mounted Infantry [U.S.] but this book doesn't really discuss exactly where the unit fought). The volume is thin and lacks depth, but at least it does discuss the "Kentuckian vs. Kentuckian" nature of the war in this part of Appalachia. Illustrated with black and white photos and some maps.

The 1939-1940 New York World's Fair (Five Stars)

This is a fascinating look at the 1939 World's Fair, a fair which saw both the hopes of many for a peaceful future based on scientific and technological progress and the opening rounds of the Second World War, with many pavilions closing or operating with their flags at half mast as the totalitarian regimes began their march of conquest. Probably the most famous of the world fairs, the 1939 has some of the most memorable imagery and indeed a lot of the material associated with the fair is highly collectible today. The USSR had a pavilion, as did the Belgium Congo and one that celebrated Italy's fascist regime. Trains and planes were celebrated as harbingers of progress and parachute rides let those daring enough to go up see the fair from high up. It could have used some more concept shots or photos which established the overall look of the pavilions but virtually all of the photos were first rate. A great book by itself or for background on other material about the 1939 World's Fair or the 1930s.

One Star Reviews (Four Stars)

Lots of "laugh-out-loud" moments with this book. I expected more material on book reviews but definitely had fun with this. Well worth reading.