Here is a description of the book from the publisher (Zenith Press):

One of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history, Operation Stalemate, as Peleliu was called, was overshadowed by the Normandy landings.  It was also, in time, judged by most historians to have been unnecessary; though it had been conceived to protect MacArthur’s flank in the Philippines, the U.S. fleet’s carrier raids had eliminated Japanese airpower, rendering Peleliu irrelevant.  Nevertheless, the horrifying number of casualties sustained there (71% in one battalion) foreshadowed for the rest of the war: rather than fight to the death on the beach, the Japanese would now defend in depth and bleed the Americans white.

The book provides a good description of the 1st Marine Regiment’s actions on Peleliu.  The book is mainly narrative with many excerpts from Marines who fought in the battle.  For example, Camp describes the initial landings and how the Japanese guns knocked out many of the landing craft.  He sprinkles in amongst this text the first-hand accounts of how the men got off the landing craft as quickly as possible because many the landing craft were blown to pieces with bodies and equipment thrown high into the air.  Camp gives a good balance of the narrative and the first-hand accounts.

I think the true strength of the book is in the analysis of the Marine leadership during the battle.  Camp is particularly critical of the 1st Marine Division’s commander General William Rupertus and Marine legend Colonel Lewis “Chesty” Puller.  Camp is critical of Rupertus for putting the pride of the Marine Corps before the lives of his men – Rupertus refused to allow an Army division to come and relieve part of his division even though the Marine units were decimated.  In addition, Camp is critical of Puller of being out of touch with the battle – he continuously ordered his units to attack across open ground with horrendous consequences.  His battalions were reduced to the size of reinforced companies.  Camp quotes several of Puller’s contemporaries that Puller was a fine battalion commander, but was not a suitable regimental commander – he did not have a “grasp of the use of naval gunfire, artillery, and supporting arms in general.”

Although the book has plenty of photographs (100 black and white), many of the photographs are too dark to see the detail in them.  I don’t know if this was just the case with paperbacks or if it was for the hardback as well, but it was a little bit of an annoyance.  The maps and diagrams were very helpful.  I particularly like the diagram of the various types of caves the Japanese defenders built.  The diagram helps you to visualize why these caves were so difficult to destroy.

I normally do not like oral histories because many times they are choppy – the first-hand accounts are not normally interwoven with the narrative very well.  However, this book is the rare exception.  Springer provides an excellent framework of the ship’s history in the narrative.  He then fills in the personal details with the oral history.  Springer’s writing style is light and easy to read.

The most gripping parts of the book are the accounts of the crew’s fight for the Franklin’s survival in one instance (the ship was hit by a kamikaze on October 30, 1944 that caused enough damage to require repairs in the mainland U.S.)  and fighting to contain damage in another (it was hit again on March 18, 1945 by one bomb that caused cataclysmic damage).  The stories are interesting and engaging.  For example, many of the survivors describe  where they were when the bomb hit the ship and how they either left the ship or fought to control the fires raging below the decks.

In addition to the survivors’ stories from the March 18 attack, Springer includes the accounts of other sailors on neighboring ships.  These accounts include the heroic efforts of several ship captains (particularly that of Captain Fritz of the USS Santa Fe) to help the stricken Franklin and the hundreds of Franklin sailors that were in the water.  Fritz’s seamanship allowed hundreds of sailors to transfer from the Franklin to the Santa Fe without touching the water (thus avoiding the perils of floating in freezing water).

Springer also discusses a black episode after the March 18 disaster – Captain Gehres’ (captain of the Franklin) claims of dereliction of duty against the hundreds of officers and sailors who abandoned ship during the fire that raged in the ship.  Many of these men had no other choice but to abandon ship or be killed.  Others, in the confusion, thought they were ordered to abandon ship.  Springer describes how this accusation from Gehres scarred the consciences of hundreds of brave men who fought for their country, but were ostracized for their “supposed” cowardly act.

Finally, Springer’s descriptions and first-hand accounts of the daily operations on a World War II aircraft carrier are fascinating.  The little details of how an aircraft carrier operated are fascinating.  For example, Springer talks about how the pilots landed on the carrier.  Many times their arresting hooks did not catch a wire and a barrier net was needed to catch the aircraft.  Although this saved the pilot and the plane, it also cost a lot of aircraft engines because they were ruined when the props hit the net.

This book is an excellent oral history describing one of the U.S. Navy’s finest hours in saving one of its ships.

Many people in their late thirties or older know of Omar Bradley from Karl Malden’s portrayal of him in the movie Patton.  He was portrayed as a bland, risk-averse character who was overshadowed by the flamboyant Patton (played by George C. Scott).  Jim DeFelice tries to dispel this image of Bradley in Omar Bradley: General at War.

DeFelice discusses Bradley’s rise in rank before World War II.  Although never serving in combat, he gained valuable leadership experience in various postings, such as two stints at West Point and one at the Infantry School.  According to DeFelice, this leadership experience served him well when Bradley did first see combat in North Africa in World War II.

I have read more than a few books on the European Theater in World War II and most of them either ignore Bradley (focusing more on the common soldier or Patton) or paint him in a less than flattering light.  For instance, many of the books blame Bradley for ignoring the warning signs prior to the German attack in the Ardennes.  The arguments supporting this viewpoint are quite convincing and DeFelice does begrudgingly admit that Bradley was slow on the uptake in discerning Germany’s actions in the Ardennes.

However, DeFelice convincingly argues that once the initial shock wore off, Bradley quickly adapted to the new reality and ordered Patton to shift the direction of his attack.  He ordered Patton to slice into the base of the German bulge.  This action helped to put pressure on the German rear, which slowed the advance on the front lines.

DeFelice’s description and analysis of Bradley’s experiences in North Africa and Sicily are good, but I think his writing on Bradley in Normandyis excellent.  Particularly, I like DeFelice’s analysis of Operation Cobra.  Rightfully so, DeFelice claims that Bradley has never been given enough credit for the innovative use of bombers on a tactical level.  The use of the bombers blew a hole in the German lines and Bradley’s aggressiveness pushed more than five divisions into the gap to start the break out of Normandy and the race across France.

I have one point of criticism – DeFelice puts all of the maps at the back of the book.  There are plenty of them, but they should have been put in amongst the text so that the reader can better understand the context of the situation that is being discussed.

This book is well-written and a great tribute to one of America’s unsung heroes in World War II.

Here is a brief summary of the book from the publisher’s website:

When American and British forces invaded Iraq in March 2003, select teams of special forces and intelligence operatives got to work looking for the WMD their governments had promised were there.  They quickly realized no such weapons existed.  Instead they faced an insurgency—a soaring spiral of extremism and violence that was almost impossible to understand, let alone reverse.

Facing defeat, the Coalition waged a hidden war within a war.  Major-General Stan McChrystal devised a campaign fusing special forces, aircraft, and the latest surveillance technology with the aim of taking down the enemy faster than it could regenerate.  Guided by intelligence, British and American special forces conducted a relentless onslaught, night after night targeting al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups.

Urban provides a solid chronological history of the British special forces in Iraq.  Many people may see this book  as a dry history, but I would counter that it is not because Urban includes many details of the war that I thought would be top-secret.  For example, he describes how the American tracking of cell phones in Iraq helped the American and British special forces to find targets for their operations.  These operations eliminated or captured leaders in the insurgency.

Urban also explores the tension between the leadership of British regular and special forces.  The special forces wanted to work more closely with the Americans and be very aggressive in their operations whereas the regular forces commanders wanted to be more cautious (in fact, they were accused of just biding their time for the order to withdraw from Iraq).  This tension often led to open arguments between the two branches.

It is fascinating to read about the individual operations run by the special forces.  These operations evolved throughout the war.  Initially, there were not as many operations because of an emphasis on over-planning.  However, this changed when British special forces commanders made an effort to coordinate their operations with the Americans under General Stanley McChrystal (commander of Joint Special Operations Command in Iraq).  McCrystal revolutionized black operations in Iraq.  His demand for continuous operations against the insurgency’s leadership put so much pressure on al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Shia insurgents that they cracked.

Finally, Urban writes in an easy-to-read prose that keeps the reader engaged throughout.  The book is 320 pages with two eight-page color photograph inserts.

This is an excellent book if you want to learn about some of the inner workings of the special forces war in Iraq.

The Battle of Ball’s Bluff (more action took place there than at Edwards Ferry) grew out of an order for Union General Charles P. Stone to make a “demonstration” in front of Confederate positions near Ball’s Bluff. This demonstration turned into a twelve-hour battle where hundreds of men were killed and wounded, a prominent friend of President Lincoln’s (Col. Edward D. Baker) was killed, and the promising career of Stone was ruined (Morgan succinctly and clearly explains how Stone was pointed out as a scapegoat by his detractors). As Morgan shows, if anyone was to blame, it was Baker for his lack of leadership and control of the battle.

Although Ball’s Bluff did not seem to have any tactical or strategic consequences, but it did have political repercussions way beyond the Battle. As a result of the Union’s bungling of this battle and the First Battle of Bull Run, Congress created the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War – which proved to be a major hindrance for Lincoln throughout the war.

Morgan clearly lays out how the battle progressed and the different units that participated on both sides. He equally criticizes and praises both sides. The Confederates were generally better led (overall command was under Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Evans) and organized than the Union – there was total confusion prior to Baker’s entrance on the battlefield. Morgan supports most of his arguments with diaries and official reports. However, when his opinion is not based on either source, he bases it on sound reason.

Scattered throughout the text, Morgan includes numerous maps and photographs of the participants. The maps are helpful in following the action depicted in the text. The reader gets a better understanding of the tactical situation as well.

Finally, Morgan includes seven appendices on various aspects surrounding the battles. The topics covered include the details surrounding Baker’s death and an interesting discussion on why the Battle of Ball’s Bluff even occurred.

This book is an excellent short, concise history of the Battle of Ball’s Bluff.

A majority of the book is spent on Livingston’s time in Vietnam, specifically the battle for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor – the Battle of Dai Do in 1968. The main battle pitted a reinforced Marine battalion (2nd Battalion/4th Marine Regiment) against a significant portion of a North Vietnamese Army division. In the battle, Livingston commanded a company.

I won’t go into the details of the battle, but the phrase “uncommon valor was a common virtue” was prevalent on the battlefield. Livingston’s leadership appears to have made a difference in saving not only many of the lives in his company, but also in his battalion. The book is a good narrative of what occurred during the battle from the American perspective.

After Livingston’s tour, he returned to Vietnam to help evacuate the last Americans and South Vietnamese in the final days of South Vietnam in 1975. In vivid detail, the book describes the tense atmosphere that the Marines had to contend with in order to get everyone out alive – including themselves.

I have become wary of biographies (especially if the subject is involved in the writing) because it is hard to discern whether the book accurately portrays the subject’s life. This book appears to be objective with Livingston not glorifying his actions or over hyping what he did. He was probably a stickler for details (many of his men probably found that annoying), but that attention to detail no doubt saved many lives.

Some people may be turned off by some of Livingston’s observations and reflections on today’s world at the back of the book. He tells it the way he sees it. For example, he feels that the men and women in today’s armed forces are committed to defending our country to the best of their abilities. However, he criticizes all of the creature comforts that are given to those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to him, these comforts are more appropriate for civilians in the U.S., not in a combat zone. Although I served in Korea, I am not about to criticize how our men and women are treated by our military in Iraq and Afghanistan because I do not know what it is like to serve in a combat zone (In my humble opinion, Livingston has a right to have an opinion since he has lived under combat conditions).

This book is well-worth a read for the combat descriptions alone.

Generally, the book covers the Navy pilots that flew over the skies of North and South Korea during the War.  Many of the accounts of the pilots are from the pilots themselves.  Sears follows the pilots from their deployment to their way home (if they were lucky enough to survive).  He includes many stories of survival and loss during the war.

Sears was able to get an accurate portrayal of the Navy pilots because he worked off of James Michener’s’ notes (Michener used these notes to write the novel The Bridges at Toko-Ri).  Michener’s influence on the book is abundantly clear.  In fact, Sears periodically mentions when and where Michener observed carrier operations.  I think Sears mentions Michener a little too much – it interrupts the flow of the book.

The book is a great tribute to those men who flew the dangerous skies over Korea.  Although the propeller-driven planes were often attacked by Russian MiG fighters, the pilots of these props did not hesitate to try to complete their missions.  They not only had to contend with the fighters, but also denser and more sophisticated anti-aircraft systems as the war progressed.  Sears thoroughly explains how the pilots felt about their odds of returning from a mission.

Sears not only recounts the heroes stories of the pilots, but he also writes about the close bond that the pilots had for each other.   Many would stay over a downed comrade until help arrived even though their fuel ran dangerously low.  Sears recounts how one pilot flew alongside an injured pilot until he was able to land on an emergency air strip – the pilot stayed with his buddy even though his fuel was running out quickly.

Such Men As These is a great tribute to the U.S. Navy pilots who flew in the “Forgotten War.”

Briefly, the book follows Louie from his childhood (full all kinds of mischief) through his high school and college years as a track star.  It then chronicles his exploits in the Army Air Forces to the day his B-24 bomber crashed in the Pacific Ocean.  Forty-seven days later, he and the plane’s pilot (Russell Allen Phillips) were captured by the Japanese.  He then endured years of torture and slavery.  After the war, he tried to put his life back in order despite the experiences from the war that haunted him.

Anyone who has read Seabiscuit knows that Hillenbrand is an excellent storyteller.  She does not disappoint with her latest work.  Her writing style keeps you enthralled with Louie’s life.  Hillenbrand captures the emotions (high and low) that roll with Louie’s fortunes in life.  For example, tears come to your eyes when reading about Louie’s mom’s reaction on hearing that he went missing.

The trials and tribulations of Louie’s life are sometimes his own making.  For example, following the war, he quickly got married, but his marriage began to tank because he had not addressed his inner demons from his POW days (understandably, because his experiences were beyond comprehension).  He was haunted by the “Bird,” a particularly sadistic guard who enjoyed torturing Louie.  Rather than talking about his troubles, he turned to the bottle.  His drinking caused much stress on his wife to the point she almost left him.

I have read some criticism of the book that it is too full of anecdotes and too glowing of Louie.  I would disagree – there are some anecdotes, but those are used so that the reader fully understands Louie.  I think that the glowing praise of Louise is not accurate.  Hillenbrand criticizes his behavior in his youth and his behavior toward his wife (plus, it is a little hard to criticize a person’s actions when they are trying to stay alive in an ocean and a POW camp).  In addition, she gives credit  to others when it is due.  She points out several instances when Phil (the pilot of Louie’s B-24 that crashed) saved their lives in the Pacific.

Hillenbrand backs up her great storytelling with solid research.  She spent seven years researching the book.  Her research included hundreds of hours of interviews and pages and pages of correspondence with Louie.  In addition, she also interviewed other POWs and Army Air Forces veterans.

There has been much praise written about this book – believe all of it.

Phil Nordyke has compiled hundreds of photographs about the 82nd in his photographic history of the Division in The All Americans in World War II: A Photographic History of the 82nd Airborne Division at War.

The photographs trace the 82nd from its formation to its many combat missions to the end of the war.  Many of the photographs have been published in other books (the gliders smashed to pieces in Normandy), but others have not been published as much (or never before).  Each photograph captures the the experiences of the troopers as they slogged through Western and Southern Europe and into Germany.

Nordyke also includes a short narrative of the Division’s actions during the war.  It is not too detailed, but it gives you a general idea of where the Division fought and against whom.  He includes many compelling stories, such as the fighting that occurred when the Americans took the offensive in the Battle of the Bulge (the Division suffered grievously with many companies taking fifty percent or more casualties).