military history

Jul 28 2011

Noble Warrior: The Life and Times of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston

I have recently read two books on the Vietnam War. The first of these, Noble Warrior: The Life and Times of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor by James E. Livingston, Colin D. Heaton, and Anne-Marie Lewis, is a biography of Major General James E. Livingston – a Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War. The book is a quick read at 272 pages. It includes 23 b/w photographs and seven maps (which are very helpful in following the action in the book).

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.

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By Jeff Grim • Reviews • 1 • Tags: , , , ,

Jul 22 2011

Black Faces of War: A Legacy of Honor from the American Revolution to Today by Robert V. Morris

I am a few months behind in my readings and I meant to read and review this book during February, but unfortunately that did not happen.  Anyway, Robert V. Morris highlights the contributions of African-Americans in our country’s wars in Black Faces of War: A Legacy of Honor from the American Revolution to Today from the American Revolution to Today.  The book is 160 pages with 53 color and 194 b/w photographs.
Morris profiles many famous and not-so-famous military figures.  These figures include Crispus Attucks (first man to die in the American Revolution); Harriet Tubman (she led many slaves to freedom and served the Union during the Civil War); Capt. Luther Smith (decorated pilot who flew with the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II); and General Colin Powell (first African-American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff).

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Jul 8 2011

Such Men As These: The Story of the Navy Pilots Who Flew the Deadly Skies over Korea by David Sears

Continuing my two-book review series on the Korean War, I turn to Such Men as These: The Story of the Navy Pilots Who Flew the Deadly Skies over Korea by David Sears.  The book is 395 pages with 46 black and white photographs.

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.

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Mar 31 2011

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

Most people have probably never heard of Louis Zamperini.  But, prior to World War II, he was known across the country as the Olympic runner who was on pace to break the four-minute mile (an achievement at one time thought to be impossible to beat).  As with many other Americans at the time, Louis volunteered to join the Army Air Forces after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.  His story is not like most World War II veterans.  Laura Hillenbrand describes Louie’s phenomenal story in Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.

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.

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Mar 26 2011

The All Americans in World War II: A Photographic History of the 82nd Airborne Division at War by Phil Nordyke

As I mentioned in my previous post, the 82nd Airborne, along with the 101st Airborne, were the elite American divisions in the European Theater of Operations.  These divisions were called upon countless times to take the hardest positions and defend against overwhelming odds.

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).

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