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Conquering the Ocean: The Roman Invasion of Britain

Reviewed by Capt. Richard Dick, USN (Ret.)  Dr. Richard Hingley’s new book provides a fresh assessment of the Roman conquest of Britain from Julius Caesar’s first raid in 55 B.C. through the building of Hadrian’s Wall (roughly along the current border between England and Scotland) to about 130 A.D. Hingley also adds a higher-level overview

Admiral Hyman Rickover: Engineer of Power

Reviewed by Dr. Ernie Marshall The author is an award-winning freelance journalist and independent author/historian whose previous books include: The Millionaire’s Unit: The Aristocrat Flyboys Who Fought the Great War and Invented American Air Power; 1941: Fighting the Shadow War; and The Bonfire: The Siege and Burning of Atlanta. With half a score of books

Dreadnoughts and Super-Dreadnoughts

Reviewed by Ed Calouro   Battleship buffs and authorities on capital ships are familiar with the dictum that once HMS Dreadnought was commissioned in 1906, all existing battleships thereby became obsolete. Indeed, all-big-gun battleships from 1906 forward were considered dreadnoughts or, subsequently, super-dreadnoughts. Capital ships built before 1906 with a mixed or intermediate main armament, were

Hitler’s Navy: The Kriegsmarine in World War II

Reviewed by CAPT Chuck Good, USN (Ret) Broad in scope and rich in detail, Hitler’s Navy is a comprehensive overview of the ships, organization, and sailors of the Kriegsmarine. As befits Osprey’s core competency in producing monographs of famous ships and classes, the work is lavishly illustrated and full of technical detail. For those seeking

Eyes of the Fleet over Vietnam: RF-8 Crusader Combat Photo Reconnaissance Missions

Reviewed by ISCM (AW) David Mattingly, USN Ret.  A mix of airframes; fighters, light attack planes, and helicopters all made up the carrier air wings on Yankee Station during the Vietnam War. Most notably, the RF-8 Crusader piloted by Navy and Marine Corps aviators flew over enemy territory as the “eyes of the fleet.” Kenneth

Torpedoes, Tea, and Medals: The Gallant Life of Commander D. G. H. ‘Jake’ Wright DSC** Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart If small boat action is of any interest to you, this book is a must read. While thousands of books have been written about the fight to the death between the Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine during World War II, almost all of these books have concentrated on the convoy

Leadership: The Warrior’s Art  

Reviewed by Rhonda Smith-Daugherty, Ph.D.  In his famous work, On War, Carl von Clausewitz discussed the qualities that make up what he termed the “Military Genius.” While he acknowledged that good leaders require intellect, the real heart of leadership is intuition and courage.  Since the battlefield is fluid, a leader must have the ability to

An Artilleryman in Stalingrad: A Soldier’s Story at the Turning Point of World War II

Reviewed by Jeff Schultz Dr. Wigand Wüster’s An Artilleryman in Stalingrad: A Soldier’s Story at the Turning Point of World War offers insight into a pivotal World War II campaign through the rarely told artilleryman’s perspective. His frank memoir lacks the self-serving elements common to historical retellings where pride takes precedence and real experiences require

The Sailor’s Bookshelf: Fifty Books to Know the Sea

Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb, Ph.D.    James G. Stavridis, a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 1976, who majored in English and would ultimately rise to four-star admiral, spent 37 years as a surface warfare officer on active service in the U.S. Navy. He commanded destroyers (USS Barry and subsequently Destroyer