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.

In explaining why the Americans won the war, Sears writes about the American pilots who became aces and developed the air tactics that helped defeat the vaunted Zero.  These pilots include John “Jimmie” Thach who invented the fighter and wingman tactics still used today and Edward “Butch” O’Hare, the Navy’s first combat ace.  Although the stories about these pilots are somewhat disjointed, they are very engaging.

Not only does Sears write about American pilots, but he also includes the perspective of Japanese pilots via Imperial Japanese Navy pilot Saburo Sakai – a highly decorated pilot who survived the war with the loss of vision in one eye.  Sears describes, through the words of Sakai,  the Japanese pilots’ elation in dominating the Allies at the beginning of the war and, conversely, their total dismay when the tables were turned at the end of the war.

In addition to the pilots, Sears touches on the development of a few Navy fighters, especially the F4F Wildcat.  The writing on the development of the F2F, F3F, and F4F is very interesting.  Sears writes how Grumman (a small start-up company in the 1930s) was able to beat Boeing for the Navy’s first solely designed carrier-based aircraft.

As with many popular histories, accuracy is somewhat sacrificed.  There is more than one inaccurate statement in the book.  For example, Sears writes about the armored decking of U.S. aircraft carriers when in actuality the decks were made of wood planking (pine).  Many of the misstatements are minor, but they add up to be an annoyance.

Overall, this book is very entertaining.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions expressed herein are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with Federal Trade Commision regulations.

The book is more about Palm’s relationships with his wife Helen and his pastor Charles Woodbridge (John is Charles’s son) and his deepening faith than it is about Palm’s experiences in World War II.  Through his relationship with Woodbridge, Palm came to know Christ.  Following the war (after a brief hiatus), Palm decided to pursue a career in the Army.  The authors recount how Ira and Helen shared their faith to others in the military and how they were active in the Officers’ Christian Union.

Regarding Palm’s experiences during World War II, the book is somewhat mistitled because Palm never had Hitler in his crosshairs.   I am not quite sure where the title comes from – other than a tangential connection between Palm and a German resistance member who had Hitler in his crosshairs, but could not pull the trigger for fear of hitting a child.

An interesting sidenote to Palm’s story is described by the authors in the latter part of the book.  Toward the end of the war, Palm and a few men were sent to capture or kill Hitler at one of his many homes in Munich.  They never found Hitler, but Palm did find one of Hitler’s greatest treasures – a gold pistol given to him by the Nazi Party. The authors explain the journey of the pistol from Palm to Charles Woodbridge to being stolen and then possibly resurfacing years later (it is unclear if a similar pistol discovered recently is the one Palm once owned).

Overall, I think the book is a great story for Palm’s family – there is a little too much  family history that I think most readers will not find very interesting.  However, it is an inspiring story that chronicles a man’s walk in Christ and how this walk got him through many tight spots during World War II.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Zondervan.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions expressed herein are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with Federal Trade Commision regulations.

From the Publisher:

“I can never understand how the scribbles of such an ordinary person, leading a shut-in, dull life, can possibly have value.” So wrote Nella Last in her diary on September 2, 1949. Sixty years on, tens of thousands of people have read and enjoyed the first two volumes of her diaries, written during World War II and its aftermath as part of the Mass Observation project, now the basis for BAFTA-winning TV drama Housewife 49 starring Victoria Wood.

This third compelling volume sees Nella, now in her sixties, writing of what ordinary people felt during those years of growing prosperity in a flourishing and modernizing Britain. Her diary offers a detailed, moving, and humorous narrative of the changing experiences of ordinary people at a time that shaped the society we live in today. It is an account that’s full of surprises as we learn more about her relationship with her husband and their fears of nuclear war. Outwardly Nella’s life was commonplace, but behind this mask were a lively mind and a persistent pen. As David Kynaston said on BBC Radio 4, she “will come to be seen as one of the major twentieth-century English diarists.”

Publishers Weekly

Penicillin operates as the source of romance, murder, and melodrama in Belfer’s (City of Light) evocative WWII–era novel. When Life magazine sends strikingly beautiful photographer Claire Shipley to report on a promising new medication made from green mold, Claire, 36, the single mother of a young son, who lost her daughter to blood poisoning eight years before, is moved by the drug’s potential to save lives. She also becomes smitten with resident doctor James Stanton, a man with two interests: penicillin and bedding Claire. But as the war casualties pile up, penicillin becomes an issue of national security and the politics of the drug’s production threaten to disrupt the pair’s lust-fueled romance, especially when James is sent abroad to oversee human trials of the drug. The pharmaceutical companies—including one owned by Claire’s father—realize the financial potential in penicillin, which leads to a hodgepodge of soapy plot twists: suspicious deaths, amnesia, illness, exploitation, and espionage. Belfer handily exploits Claire’s photo shoots to add historical texture to the book, and the well-researched scenes bring war-time New York City to life, capturing the anxiety-ridden period.

From the Publisher

At the beginning of World War II, twelve-year-old Nora Lynch is one of thousands of London children sent away to the safety of the English countryside. Her surrogate family, Reverend and Mrs. Rivers and their daughter Grace, are like no-one she has ever met, offering shelter, affection, and the sister she never had. But Nora is too young and too naïve to understand the cracks beneath the surface of her idyllic new life at the rectory, or the disappointments of the Riverses’ marriage. And as her friendship with Grace grows more intense, she aches to become even closer. What happens next is a secret that she keeps for more than fifty years, a secret that she can begin to reveal only when, elderly and alone, Nora knows that she is close to the end.

A beautiful meditation on love, friendship, and family, Days of Grace is a stunning debut that brings a tumultuous era to life. Nora tells her story in alternating chapters from the past and present, projecting her childhood nostalgia with a cinematic glow.

The book generally traces his childhood growing up in Denver, Colorado in a conservative Jewish family.  Goldstein grew up with a loving mother who did all that she needed to do to keep her family together (his father died when he was a child) - one of his mom’s relatives told her to put her boys in an orphanage.  Goldstein’s love for his mother shows throughout the book.  He not only values his family, but also his religion.

The book then describes Goldstein’s military service.  He ended up in Europe just prior to the Battle of the Bulge.  In his first battle, his tank was destroyed and he was taken captive.  In captivity, he lost more than 100 pounds and needed extensive rehab after his POW camp was liberated.  The last segment of the book covers Goldstein’s post-military career – including his reconnection with his destroyed tank in a Belgian town.

Whenever I read an account of a Jewish-American soldier in World War II, I am always amazed.  Each account relates how they were determined in doing their part in defeating the Nazis – all the while fighting anti-Semitism in our own armed forces.  Goldstein is no exception, he experienced anti-Semitism from his company commander and other military personnel.  However, he took this harassment in stride – he did bow down in fear to his commander – he defiantly stood his ground no matter the consequences.

Goldstein is a good storyteller.  He takes the reader back in time with him as he struggles to survive in the various POW camps he is placed in.  His descriptions are filled with the emotions of the moment – the fear of dieing in an Allied air attack, the bond he forms with his fellow POWs, and the joy of meeting his mother when he returns to the states.

Goldstein tells a compelling story that keeps you interested throughout the book – I have found that many biographies have slow parts, but not this one.  He tells an inspiring story of faith, determination, and friendship.

Beevor covers the usual in books about D-Day and the Normandy Campaign – the actual landings, the ensuing fighting to take control of the region, and the break out to Paris.  Beevor describes the actions and reactions of the Americans, British, Canadians, and Germans during the battles – from the generals to the privates.  However, Beevor also writes extensively about the French military forces (under that annoying and super-nationalist De Gaulle) and the French Resistance – how the former hindered operations and how the latter helped.  Yes, the French Second Armored Division helped with the drive to Paris, but their General, Philippe Leclerc, did not always follow orders.  Beevor succinctly points out that De Gaulle and other French leaders were more interested in their own interests rather than the interests of the Allies as a whole.

I like Beevor’s take on the different generals involved in the fighting.  He equally praises and criticizes all of the generals.  Obviously, he criticizes Hitler and his obstinacy in not releasing the panzer divisions to attack and crush the Allied beachheads.  But, he also questions Eisenhower and his bland performance.  He heavily criticizes (rightly so) British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery – several times his mistakes caused innumerable casualties for the British and Canadian troops.  For example, Montgomery’s tardiness in sacking mediocre commanders caused many men to be killed or wounded unnecessarily.  Beevor proves that Montgomery was not fit to command such a large body of troops – Army Group commander – because Montgomery’s pettiness put his interests in front of the greater goal.

Beevor honors the common soldier as they struggled to survive each day.  He compliments the Germans for doing so well at containing the Allies for as long as they did with the few resources they were given.  According to Beevor, citing statistics and studies, the average German soldier was a better fighter than the average Allied soldier – the Germans believed more of the propaganda their leaders fed them and thus were more motivated to fight harder.  Beevor also praises the Allied soldiers for their ingenuity in dealing with the hedgerow fighting in Normandy – for example devising the hedgehog apparatus for the front of Sherman tanks to plow through the thick hedgerows.

Although Beevor praises the foot soldiers from both sides, he does not hold back on criticizing them as well.  The blatant and nonchalant killing of prisoners was rampant on both sides – especially if the Waffen SS were involved as captors or prisoners.  As the fighting became more heated, it was not uncommon for prisoners to not make it to the rear alive.  Beevor also criticizes Allied soldiers, especially Americans, for their insatiable appetite for plunder – not just from the Germans, but from French civilians as well.  He mentions that tankers were the worst because they could easily store their loot in their tanks.

The book is 523 pages, but do not be discouraged by its size.  Beevor writes with an easy-to-follow prose.  He includes several pages of black and white photographs of the major leaders and action shots from both sides.

I would highly recommend this excellent history of the Allied victory in the Normandy Campaign in World War II.