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.

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.

German Night Fighter Force, 1917-1945 (Five Stars)

From 1940 on Germany faced the wrath of the RAF bomber command, which chose to conduct its raids on German cities at night. In response, the Luftwaffe not only increased the number of ground-based antiaircraft units but also formed dedicated night-fighter squadrons. Mr. Aders discusses the evolution of the force, from its reliance on sound detectors and searchlights to the employment of dedicated and purpose-built (sort of) fighters which could detect bomber streams and target individual enemy aircraft in the dark.




Aders book starts with World War One, which saw primitive aircraft attempting to intercept small-scale bomb raids at night. Prior to World War Two very little thought was put towards night fighting and when the Luftwaffe was created the emphasis was on attack, not defense. However, RAF bomber raids demanded a response and German fighter pilots were trained for the first time to fly on instruments only. From there, the history of the German night fighter force was largely one of improvisition and necessity. The Me110 was the first fighter to be relegated to the night fighter role after its disappointing performance during the Blitz. From then on the night fighter force usually employed obsolescent airframes, which, if they were lucky, had been somewhat modified for their new role. Superior aircraft designs were on the drawing board but with so many aircraft which could be used for night fighting (although not optimally) just sitting in storage or factories the Reich would not divert the resources from its limited manufacturing base for truly superior planes.




Aders clearly knows the topic. His book discusses personalities who were involved in the design of Germany's air defenses, such as General Kammhuber. His book looks at the various aircraft adopted for use as night fighters, such as the Me110, the Ju-88, the He219 and the Ar240, as well as the drawbacks to designs put forward due to lack of available engines, etc. He discusses ground-based radars such as Freya and Wurzburg and the roles they played in early warning and guidance of the fighters. He also looks at Lichtenstein and other airborne radars for targing individual enemy aircraft, not to mention efforts to use infra-red targetting. Aders' book includes discussions of individual night fighter pilots and operations of night fighters outside of the Reich.




Reading this book you will be surprised at how the defenses that threatened the RAF were hobbled together. It will make you wonder how much greater the damage might have been if the Germans had changed their priorities, even temporarily. You would be hard-pressed to find another book as good as this one on the topic of German night fighters. I found myself skipping over technical details at times but I know where to find those details if I need them. Lavishly illustrated with black-and-white photographs, maps and organizational information.