Reviews for RCN News Magazine and SeaWaves Magazine

US Naval Institute on Command

2017-06-25T20:11:00.001-07:00

9781612518008

Number of Pages: 192

Date Available: January 2015 In the U.S. Navy, “Wheel Books” were once found in the uniform pockets of every junior and many senior petty officers. Each small notebook was unique to the Sailor carrying it, but all had in common a collection of data and wisdom that the individual deemed useful in the effective execution of his or her duties. Often used as a substitute for experience among neophytes and as a portable library of reference information for more experienced personnel, those weathered pages contained everything from the time of the next tide, to leadership hints from a respected chief petty officer, to the color coding of the phone-and-distance line used in underway replenishments. In that same tradition, the new Naval Institute Wheel Books will provide supplemental information, pragmatic advice, and cogent analysis on topics important to all naval professionals. Drawn from the U.S. Naval Institute’s vast archives, the series will combine articles from the Institute’s flagship publication Proceedings, selections from the oral history collection and from Naval Institute Press books to create unique guides on a wide array of fundamental professional subjects. Command is the pinnacle of leadership in a military organization. Navy regulations define both the authority and the responsibility of command as “absolute.” This Naval Institute Wheel Book provides practical guidance and advice that actual and would-be commanders can use to carry out that absolute authority. Included in this carefully selected collection is the experience of those who have commanded as well as the expectations of those who are commanded. Aspirants as well as practitioners will do well to exploit this selected survey of what Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz described as the “one purpose” for entering the Navy. Thomas J. Cutler has been serving the U.S. Navy in various capacities for nearly fifty years. The author of many articles and books, including several editions of The Bluejacket’s Manual and A Sailor’s History of the U.S. Navy, he is currently the director of professional publishing at the Naval Institute Press and Fleet Professor of Strategy and Policy with the Naval War College. He has received the William P. Clements Award for Excellence in Education as military teacher of the year at the U.S. Naval Academy, the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Naval Literature, the U.S. Maritime Literature Award, and the Naval Institute Press Author of the Year Award.

James Madison Hood Lincoln’s Consul to the Court of Siam

2017-06-25T20:10:00.002-07:00

James Madison Hood
Lincoln’s Consul to the Court of Siam

George C. Kingston

Print ISBN: 978-0-7864-7194-2
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-4766-0126-7
14 photos, maps, notes, bibliography, index
244pp. softcover (6 x 9) 2013

Captain James Madison Hood was the real U.S. Consul in the novel Anna and the King of Siam, but before his arrival in Bangkok, he was also a merchant ship captain, builder of clipper ships, legislator in both Massachusetts and Illinois, industrialist, and land speculator. He was present at the birth of the Republican Party. As U.S. Consul, he presided over the trial of Dr. Dan Beach Bradley for libel of the French Consul, Gabriel Aubaret, a case which influenced the course of Southeast Asian history and got Anna Leonowens in trouble with King Mongkut. Captain Hood lived large and was not above a little extralegal maneuvering to support his lifestyle. His life is a tour through the politics, economics and deal making of the mid–19th century.

Two Roads to War

2017-06-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

Binding:Hardback
Published:June 15, 2012

Noted aviation historian Robin Higham has written this comparative study of the evolution of the French and British air arms from 1918 to 1940 to determine why the Armée de l’Air was defeated in June 1940 but the Royal Air Force was able to win the battle over Britain in September. After analyzing the structure, men, and matériel of the air arms, and the government and economic infrastructure of both countries, he concludes that the French force was dominated by the Armée de Terre, had no suitably powerful aero engines, and suffered from the chaos of French politics. In contrast, the independent RAF evolved into a sophisticated, scientifically based force, supported by consistent government practices. Higham’s thorough examination,

Crucified Again

2015-03-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

Crucified Again

by Raymond Ibrahim

Hardcover • 2013 • $27.95 ISBN: 978-1-62157-025-7

Two thousand years after St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death for his faith, Christians are once again being systematically persecuted on a large scale and with lethal cruelty. Their antagonists? Adherents of radical Islam.

The violent persecution of Christians by Muslims is now a global human rights crisis, but it has received little attention in the mainstream press. Americans were shocked in 2012 to learn that a Christian pastor was sentenced to death in Iran for his faith; but few had heard about the thirty other documented cases of severe persecution of Christians in Muslim countries that were happening at the same time. Churches burned to the ground, crucifixes and Bibles confiscated and destroyed, and Christians tortured, raped or killed for their faith are chillingly regular events in Muslim countries, sometimes even encouraged or enabled by the governments themselves.

This book should be compulsory reading for anyone concerned about terrorism and horrific human rights abuses. Political correctness and terrified media sources try to deny these barbaric and shocking acts are by "extremists" with British Prime Minister David Cameron, in a speech to the Munich security conference in 2011, said, "We have got to get to the root of the problem, and we need to be absolutely clear on where the origins of where these terrorist attacks lie. That is the existence of an ideology, Islamist extremism. We should be equally clear what we mean by this term, and we must distinguish it from Islam. Islam is a religion observed peacefully and devoutly by over a billion people. Islamist extremism is a political ideology supported by a minority. At the furthest end are those who back terrorism to promote their ultimate goal: an entire Islamist realm, governed by an interpretation of Sharia. Move along the spectrum, and you find people who may reject violence, but who accept various parts of the extremist worldview, including real hostility towards Western democracy and liberal values." *

High time for western media and politicians to stop cowering in fear and admit that this persecution exists. The attacks in Australia, Denmark, France and Canada certainly reveal this is just not a US problem, but a world problem.

Kudos for Mr Ibrahim for the courage to bring this difficult topic to the world.

* Atlantic Magazine

The Canadair Argus

2015-01-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

The Canadair Argus

Title: The Canadair Argus: The Untold Story of Canada’s Cold War Maritime Hunter
Authors: Major Cary Barker and Major Bert Campbell

The Canadair Argus plied the skies of Canada’s East and West Coast during the Cold War and, outside of a few preserved airframes, is almost forgotten. Even in books about the RCAF, it gets, at best, mentioned for a few pages in chapters on Maritime Command. This 190-page hardcover book changes all that. It does what it says on the cover, it tells the story of the Argus from development to retirement. Everything is here; weapon’s trials, stories of patrols, crew and maintenance tails, etc. I was fascinated by the Bullpup missile trials, and the references to the use of the Argus during Cuban Missile crisis. The book is well illustrated with colour and black-and-white photos and nicely down aircraft paintings. A must for an RCAF fan of Maritime operations.

Reviewed by Jim Bates

British Warships & Auxiliaries 2015/16

2015-01-09T09:57:00.001-08:00

By Steve Bush

The fully revised and updated well respected guide to the ships,aircraft and weapons of the fleet. Over 80 colour photos. Complete with pennant numbers and silhouettes. Now expanded to include Royal Marine Craft and Border Agency vessels.
This book, published annually, is the best reference tool available on the Royal Navy and is edited by LCDR Steve Bush RN (Ret'd). The latest issue, as usual, contains glossy high resolution images of ships and aircraft and should be on the bookshelf of naval personnel as well as those with an interest in the Royal Navy.

Order your copy today.

Oakville's Flower The History of HMCS Oakville

2014-11-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

Oakville's Flower The History of HMCS Oakville

By Sean E. Livingston
October 2014 Dundurn Toronto 144 pp 9781459728417 8.25 in x 10.875 in

This look at corvette HMCS Oakville and the later Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps Oakville, named for one of the towns in Ontario that were once considered the economic engine driving Canada. Author Sean E Livingston is a serving Sea Cadet officer in Oakville and this is believed to
be his first book. The author has done a credible job with the text and makes a fine addition to Oakville and Royal Canadian Navy history.
The major disappointment from the book was the printing. While color images were included, the reader is left with the feeling it was run off on the office photocopier and sent off to have a perfect binding cover added.
Would make a good Christmas gift for Sea Cadets in the Ontario region.

Edge of Valor

2014-09-08T16:53:00.004-07:00

Naval Institute Press 9781612515199 Hardcover & eBook 344 Pages 344 Pages Fiction July 2014

While we don't normally review works of fiction, this book looked interesting so did peruse it. The book is set in the summer of 1945 on a US Navy destroyer in the Pacific which suffered a Kamikaze hit with the CO, XO and Squadron Commander in recurring roles. The CO, after getting his ship back to port, is transferred to special duty.

The CO, Todd Ingram, becomes intimately involved in early Cold War intrigues, a time overshadowed at the time by the rush to demobilize. Being the fifth in a series of novels, the characters are fairly well developed by this point.

Taking over a series at book five in a series is usually either a sign the author is popular and commands fees the publisher cannot meet or the previous books have not been good sellers. Indeed this was the case with the late Tom Clancy, whose first novel, Hunt for Red October, was shepherded through the production process by editor Fred Rainbow of Naval Institute Press. The book was a great success which had the deleterious effect of pricing the author on to a larger publishing house. However in the case of this book, we'll leave judgement on this to the reader.

The only complaint I had with the book was the page layout. Reading fiction is supposed to an enjoyable experience and the text was too bunched together with a small font, which would make the book an uncomfortable read for older readers.

Nauticapedia List of British Columbia’s Floating Heritage (Volume One 1892–1959)

2014-09-08T15:26:00.002-07:00

Nauticapedia List of British Columbia’s Floating Heritage (Volume One 1892–1959)

John M. MacFarlane Nauticapedia 978-0-9936954-0-7 240 Pages

This work, the first work in a compendium of seagoing vessels over the years in British Columbia waters. Written by former Maritime Museum of BC head and Nauticapedia founder John MacFarlane, this book is an essential addition to the bookshelf of nautical history buffs. The only quibble we might have is a lack of illustrations in the manuscript, which would have made a nice addition.

Fire on the Water

2014-09-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Naval Institute Press 9781612517957 Hardcover & eBook 288 Pages September 2014

This timely book is a look at potential war plans for China in the Indo-Pacific region. With the rise in Chinese naval power and the continual decline of the US Navy's fleet, just what could happen must be examined.

Author Haddick cites as example if the Forward Strategy of Cold War era CNO Thomas Hayward and adopted by then Secretary of the Navy John F Lehman. However the timeline of how this came about is in error; Hayward's plan was first articulated to the public by US Naval Intelligence Analyst and former USNI author and Editorial Board member AD (Dave) Baker III in the Pages of Proceedings. Having read Baker's article and in subsequent meetings, Lehman appointed Baker his special assistant to implement the strategy.

The text brings up the major shortfall in US carrier aviation yet again, the lack of range of the aircraft. This has been a problem since going to the all Hornet force which has been exacerbated by the retirement of dedicated refueling aircraft. This state of affairs will not be any different when the F-35C is introduced to fleet service with carriers still having to operate close enough to hostile shores that would put them in range of Chinese ballistic missiles.

The author advocates for new missiles to replace now outdated Tomahawk and Harpoon variants with longer range supersonic missiles which minimize risk to aircraft carrier battle groups.

Well done Mr Haddick for bringing forward this matter that requires serious study.

Unflinching Zeal

2014-06-11T13:36:00.003-07:00

9781612511115 Hardcover & Ebook Naval Institute Press 368 Pages

This consequential work by a pioneer aviation historian fills a significant gap in the story of the defeat of France in 1940. Higham also more fully explains the Battle of Britain and its influence on the Luftwaffe’s invasion of the USSR. The author provides a comparative analysis of the French, German, and British air forces and then dissects their campaigns, losses, and replacement abilities. His research led to an important finding: the three air forces actually shot down only 19 percent of the number of aircraft claimed, and in the RAF’s case, 44 percent of those shot down were readily repairable, contrasting with only 8 percent for the Germans and zero for the French. Higham concludes that awareness of consumption, wastage, and sustainability were intimately connected to survival, and his book emphasizes the necessity of realistic assessments.
Having a late relative who was the only RCAF pilot assinged to RAF 601 "Millionaires" Squadron (so named as from its prewar home for some of the wealthiest members of the Royal (Auxiliary) Air Force, I was engaged in the narrative.
Most French aircraft of the prewar era were of poor design and were unsurprisingly massacred by the Luftwaffe in 1940. From Versailles to Dunkirk, France blamed the army for the loss of five million deaths in the First World War. This feedling lead to pitiful attention to the military which was unprepared for war in 1939.
The UK funded the Royal Air Force slowly and unevenly through the 1920s and 30s and spent much to their air resources in India and other outposts of the British Empire. Poor decisions on acquisitions produced disastrous aircraft such as the Fairey Battle, which like the French designs, was massacred in 1940 by the Germans.
Kudos to Mr Higham for producing this fine work.

Through a Canadian Periscope Second Edition

2014-06-05T16:21:00.002-07:00

Through a Canadian Periscope: The Story of the Canadian Submarine Service

by Julie H. Ferguson Dundurn 2014 ISBN 9781459710559

Julie Ferguson, a well known figure in the west coast writing community, has done an excellent job updating her first edition of this book to coincide with the 2014 Canadian Submarine Centennial.The well written text brings to life what deplorable conditions onboard most submarines, until recent years, with little or know sanitation, privacy or personal hygiene possible. The first Canadian submarines were bought by the British Columbia Government in 1914 to reassure local citizenry that they were safe in spite of no credible defences from marauding German cruisers. The reader can really appreciate the hardships of serving on these early vessels, originally ordered in Seattle by the Chilean Navy.Two submarines were obtained from the UK after the First World War which were soon retired from service with Ottawa unwilling to spend on defence. Much of the book details the experiences of Canadian officers serving in the Royal Navy submarine arm, the only time Canadian submariners experienced combat.In the Second World War, Canada lacked any submarines and soon learned they were desperately needed for antisubmarine warfare (ASW) training and eventually convinced the Royal Navy to base training submarines in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Bermuda. Postwar, the Royal Canadian Navy financed the basing of the Royal Navy Sixth Submarine Squadron in Halifax for ASW training. This arrangement was never quite satisfactory and Canada eventually began to pursue their own boats.These early efforts, much like acquisition projects of today, were victims of either bureaucratic bungling or a naval leadership afraid to speak up. Two former radar picket submarines from the US Navy were earmarked for sale to Canada from their reserve fleet, USS Burrfish and Tigrone. The former was successfully purchased and assigned for ASW training at Esquimalt in 1961 and the latter, intended for Halifax, fell through by ineptitude in Ottawa by naval leadership. (Ironically, USS Tigrone visited Halifax after participating in a 1970 ASW exercise.)By 1970, three obsolete Oberon Class submarines were built in the UK and another was obtained to replace Grilse on the West Coast. The boat obtained, USS Argonaut, had just finished a four year assignment in the Mediterranean was actually in worse shape than Grilse.And therein lies the problem with Canada even having submarines. Naval leadership still plans and trains to refight the Battle of the Atlantic from the First and Second World War. Submarines are intended for ASW training and are never employed in an operational role. Submarine officers had great difficulty passing the multinational commanding officer course, known as Perisher, as they only been operating in support of training surface ships.When the four Upholder Class submarines were obtained from the UK in 1998 after a number of years dithering over it, the first thing Canada did was removed two thirds of their weapon capability, meaning they can no longer fire missiles or lay mines. Back to ASW training.A few small errors noted in the text:

Russian submarines built in the First World War in BC were constructed in Burnaby and Vancouver and were disassembled for ease of shipment. The latter batch were completed after the Russian Revolution and were sold to the US Navy, which commissioned them in Bremerton.
In 1939, Canada did not declare war until September 10th.
In 1944, Newfoundland was a British Crown Colony and not part of Canada. In fact, service personnel from Canada based in Newfoundland were awarded overseas benefits by Veteran's Affairs.
When boarding a naval ship, you enter at the brow, not the bow.
HMCS Rainbow listed as SS7S instead of SS 75.

Mrs Ferguson is truly the unofficial Canadian submarine historian and is congratulated on this effort. Book is most definitely recommended.

Book Review White Ensign Flying - Corvette HMCS Trentonian

2014-03-26T19:31:00.004-07:00

White Ensign Flying - Corvette HMCS Trentonian
By Roger Litwiller

Paperback March 2014 192pp 9781459710399 8.25 in x 10.875 in
eBook – ePUB February 2014 192pp 9781459710412

The book sets out to tell the story of HMCS Trentonian, (named for Trenton, Ontario and a member of the second to last batch of Canadian Flower Class corvettes) from building in Kingston to ultimate loss in UK waters in 1945.
Numerous photos were obtained by the author and would have given a much better look to the book if they'd been displayed in a higher resolution.
Having read the author's previous book, Warships of the Bay of Quinte, I was hoping to see an improvement in this book. Alas, it was not to be. A lack of good proofreading is displayed with some very sloppy mistakes such as non-existent date of February 29, 1943 and HMCS Drumheller listed as a corvette and frigate on the same page.
Like the author's previous work, there appears to be a lack of knowledge on types of ship. In this latest book HMCS Winnipeg is erroneously identified as a Bangor Class minesweeper. In addition, a lack of distinction between Royal Canadian Reserve (RCNR) and Royal Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) displayed with statement that Trentonian's first commanding officer, Lt Harrison RCNR, was a member of the RCNVR.
A good looking book that could've been much better. If Mr Litwiller wishes to continue writing, and we certainly encourage any and all to research Canadian naval history, a sharper effort next time would be appreciated.

British Warships & Auxiliaries 2014/15

2014-01-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

British Warships & Auxiliaries 2014/15

The Complete Guide to the Ships & Aircraft of the Fleet

By Steve Bush

Maritime Books navybooks.com 120 Pages Softcover 2014

One of our yearly treats is the release of the latest edition of British Warships and Auxiliaries and this year’s version by Steve Bush lives up to the standards. Profusely illustrated with almost all color photographs, a description of all current and planned warships, submarines, aircraft and auxiliaries are listed with their particulars. In addition, the book covers British Army and Border Force vessels. This books is a must for naval bookshelves.

Lost Black Sheep: The Search for WWII Ace Chris Magee

2013-12-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

Review by Jim Bates

When most people think about VMF-214, aka "The Black Sheep," they remember either Pappy Boyington or the fictional characters from the 1970s TV show. Few know that a member of VMF-214 was not only an ace, but his life was probably more interesting than the fiction they remember with nostalgia. His name was Chris Magee.

Robert T. Reed's book, Lost Black Sheep: The Search of WWII Ace Chris Magee, is written in two parts; the first, a biography of Mr. Magee, the second, a search for Mr. Reed's roots, and the two turn out to have significant crossover. Chris Magee grew up in Chicago and, as a young man, tried to get to Europe to become a fighter pilot in World War II. He failed at first, but did end up training in Canada with the RCAF. After graduating with his wings from the RCAF he joined the United States Marine Corps and became the second highest scoring ace with the Black Sheep. Mr. Magee was not the typical fighter pilot as portrayed on screen. He was a deeply intellectual man, who was a voracious reader and a great writer. Several of his letters are included in the book and they are well written, observant, and quite amusing at times. Post-war, Mr. Magee continued flying as a mercenary with Israel, later became a bank robber and then spent some time as a guest of the Federal Government. After paying his debt to society, he dropped off the face of the earth.

The second section of the book is more personal for Mr. Reed. He discovered that the man he grew up calling "Dad" was not his biological father; it was actually Mr. Magee. Robert tracked down Mr. Magee and set out to establish a relationship. What does an ace, robber, and mercenary do in old age? Apparently, settle down to a life in a small apartment outside of Chicago to continue his intellectual quests, spending most of his time with his nose in a book. The story continues as Mr. Reed becomes acquainted with his father and reintroduces Chris to both his fellow Black Sheep and Mr. Magee's remaining estranged family members.

Lost Black Sheep is quite interesting and enjoyable. After finishing it, I longed for more insight into what made Mr. Magee tick. Clearly he was far from the stereotypical fighter pilot and certainly no two dimensional underscripted TV character.

Juan de Fuca's Strait: Voyages in the Waterway of Forgotten Dreams

2013-10-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

By Barry Gough 9781550176179 Harbour Publishing Paperback and maps 288 pp August 2013

I was looking forward to reading this book, having read some of Dr Gough's earlier works. The text starts well recounting the lives and feats of the seafarers, merchants, naval officers and explorers who searched for the fabled passage from Pacific to Atlantic which of course never existed. About halfway through the whole gist of the book seems to shift to a political correctness theme and thus causes the book to fall apart. This caused me to give up reading the remainder. When a writer wants to include 21st Century terms such as "First Nations", "Salish Sea" and "Haida Gwaii" brings the rest of the manuscript into question. What other parts of this book has history been assuaged to change events to make people appear either bad or good for political correctness? This book belongs in the trash bin. Very disappointing.

Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, 19th Ed

2013-10-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, 19th Ed
Naval Insitute Press Annapolis March 2013 9781591146872 Hardcover 688 pages

Very happy to see the publishing of the 19th Edition of this Naval Institute staple and that the considerable talents of Richard Burgess has been added to the production. As usual the book is profusely illustrated and with many excellent lists and tables in a large format. The one think I could do without are the numerous listing of retired classes of ship, which seems to fly in the face of the intent of original editor James C Fahey. Apart from this, the book is highly recommended and should be added to the bookshelf of military and civilian personnel with an interest in the US Navy, US Coast Guard, NOAA and Military Sealift Command.

The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 16th Ed

2013-10-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 16th Ed
Naval Institute Press Annapolis August 2013 9781591149545 Hardcover 1,008 pages

Called “the nation’s premier naval reference book,” The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World is internationally acknowledged as the best one-volume reference to the world’s naval and paranaval forces. Updated regularly since 1976, it has come to be relied on for all-inclusive, accurate, and up-to-date data on the ships, navies, coast guards, and naval aviation arms of more than 170 countries and territories. Large fleets and small maritime forces get equally thorough treatment. Comprehensive indexes make the book easy to use and allow for quick comparisons between ships and fleets.
This new 16th edition, presents information on all the major and minor maritime developments that could impact the world scene in the years to come. Heavily illustrated with 4,450 black & white photos and 179 multi-view line drawings, Combat Fleets provides the user with the most detailed views available for identification and comparison purposes. Additional aids for the user include a section on how to use the book, lists of terms and abbreviations,an informative ship-name index, and more. An expanded chapter on the Chinese navy provides major updates on the status of their new aircraft carrier and the latest Chinese submarines, surface ships and naval missiles. Dozens of detailed line drawings depict exactly where weapons and sensors are located on the world’s combatants such as the Iranian Ghadir-class submarines, the French Forbin-class destroyers, and the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships.
The ship data section for each country provides full coverage of all ships, from the largest aircraft carriers to the smallest training and auxiliary craft. The vessels of the world’s coast guards and customs services are given thorough treatment as well. But the book is much more than a ship encyclopedia. It includes information on the personnel strengths of each country’s naval forces, major base locations, and details on maritime radar, sonar, naval aircraft, and weapon systems currently in service.
For the Canadian section, I was disappointed in the section not being up to date.

Asian Maritime Strategies

2013-10-23T15:24:00.003-07:00

By Bernard D Cole 9781591141624 Naval Institute Press Hardcover & eBook 320 Pages October 2013

An analysis of the current state of maritime defense in Asian waters. With the financial capacity of the US to maintain a permanent presence in the region in doubt, the strengths and weaknesses of the nations in the region is what should be examined in detail. The smaller nations are also covered as well as the larger ones such as China, India and Japan. The one disappointment of this books was the lack of illustrations and tables to put things in perspective. This book is a timely addition to current geopolitical thought processes.

The Liberty Incident Revealed

2013-10-22T16:33:00.002-07:00

By A Jay Cristol 9781612513409 Naval Institute Press Hardcover & eBook 416 Pages September 2013

This book is an update of the author's 2002 treatise on the Israeli attack on USS Liberty in 1967. Former naval aviator and current judge and law professor Cristol successfully sued the National Security Administration (NSA), under freedom in information laws, for their files on the attack. He has added six chapters to this new version, in what will surely become the definitive account on this unfortunate incident and firmly believes the historical record is accurate. Hopefully this will be the case and bring closure to all persons with a personal connection to the tragedy.

21st Century Mahan

2013-10-22T16:22:00.001-07:00

By Benjamin Armstrong 9781612512433 Paperback & eBook 192 Pages August 2013

The hypothesis behind this work is that the writings of Alfred Thayer Mahan have been extensively written about but not too widely read. This book is a compilation of five essays written by Mahan and is recommended for young naval officers to get a good grasp on the timeless aspects of service life and strategy.

Congo The Miserable Expeditions and Dreadful Death of Lt Emory Taunt USN

2013-10-22T16:00:00.001-07:00

By Andrew CA Jampoler 9781612510798 Hardcover & eBook 288 Pages June 2013

Having read Heart of Darkness in college, I had a feel for the subject matter before reading. Author Jampoler was in a party of six that traveled the Congo retracing the travels of Lt Emory Taunt USN. The late 1800s were the pinnacle of the colonial movement by European and US governments. Belgium colonized the Congo and Taunt was there for some of the travails of independence and colonization and the resultant social upheavals. The books is adequately written but the problem is the sanctimony of the author condemning Belgian atrocities that the US was equally, if not more so, guilty of during the subjugation of the Philippines.

British Phantoms: FG.1 and FGR.2 (F-4 K/M) in Royal Navy and RAF Service, 1966-78 (The Ultimate F-4 Phantom II Collection, Volume 4)

2013-08-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

By Patrick Martin 978-3-935687-84-3 2012 Double Ugly Hardback; 160 pages , B&W and Color Illustrations plus Color Plates

Reviewed by Jim Bates

One of the early kits that remains in my memory is the Matchbox British Phantom. As a young boy, nothing seemed cooler, and I've had a slight obsession with the Spey-engined Phantom ever since. With such wonderful memories, what a great treat it was to open Patrick Martin's new book. The 160-page hardcover has everything one needs on the topic. Chapters include design and development, operational use, colors and markings, and squadron data. Every page is well illustrated with many photos, most in color, with some black and white shots interspersed. Also included among the text are color side-view drawings of some of the interesting markings that the Spey Phantoms have carried as well as an appendix illustrating the FG.1 and FGR.2 camouflage schemes with four view drawings. Carrier operations with the Fleet Air Arm, and land based reconnaissance, strike, and finally air defense use by the RAF of the F-4 are covered, including a short segment on the Phantoms that participated in the 1969 Daily Mail Atlantic race. While the book is more a general history of the type and not a detail oriented modelers book, detail of interest to modelers can be observed in many of the photos. About the only flaw I can see is that I need to wait for the second book that will cover the service after 1979. Highly recommended to both the F-4 modeler and the Phantom fan.

Britain's Future Navy

2013-07-24T17:02:00.001-07:00

By Nick Childs Pen and Sword Books Hardback 192 pages ISBN: 9781848842915 Published: 14 March 2012

Author Nick Childs has put together a thorough examination of of current Royal Navy (RN) equipment after the 2010 massacre of the fleet with the infamous SDSR cuts.
Childs presents many useful ideas and suggestions for the RN of the future.
Not examined is the glut of senior officers, a problem afflicting most navies in the industrialized world as they are loathe to give of their positions despite having much smaller forces to command. In the UK, the cost of these officers includes the education of their children in private schools at taxpayer expense.

This book should be required reading for politicians bent of further military cuts.

A Plain Sailorman in China: The Life of and Times of Cdr. I.V. Gillis, USN, 1875-1948

2013-05-28T17:04:00.001-07:00

By Bruce Swanson et al Naval Institute Press 9781612511054 Hardcover 272 Pages July 2012

The late Bruce Swanson learned about Gillis while doing research and was so excited he undertook to write a biography. While handwriting the text, Swanson unfortunately passed away and left the work in the hands of friends who brought the work to completion.
Gillis was the first US Naval Attache in China, a sign of increased US diplomatic presence in China after the Boxer Rebellion and other events of the first decades of the 20th century.
The book details, in an easy to read fashion, life in the US Navy and China in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Marrying a Chinese woman, Gillis eventually most of the rest of his life in China, a period that included Japanese internment during the Second World War, until his death in 1948.
Congratulations of the writing team on this fine tribute to both Commander Gillis and the late Bruce Swanson.