The Shadow Tiger: Billy McDonald, Wingman to Chennault. by William C. McDonald, III and Barbara L. Evenson Shadow Tiger Press, Birmingham, Alabama, 2016. 313 pp. Ill. $39.95 Special Hardback Edition, $24.95 Soft-Cover Edition. This new book is one of the most unusually conceived and designed books on any military aviation subject I have seen in
Victory at Midway: The Battle That Changed the Course of World War II by James M. D’Angelo. McFarland Press, Jefferson, NC, 2018. 198 pp., $35.00. This book is more than another account of the Battle of Midway. Yes, the author covers the story of the naval engagement between the Imperial Japanese Navy and the
The Defenders of Taffy 3: Analysis and Retelling of the Battle of Leyte Gulf by Byron G. Como. (2018.) Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart This print-on-demand paperback book is destined to be the benchmark against which all future accounts of the struggle of Taffy 3 to survive its encounter with the Japanese Navy
World War II at Sea: A Global History Craig L. Symonds New York: Oxford University Press, 2018 Reviewed by Kenneth J. Hagan The author of this monumental and unique book, Craig L. Symonds, a former colleague of mine, writes to fill what he sees as a massive gap in World War II historiography. He laments
Oceans Ventured: Winning the Cold War at Sea By John Lehman, W.W. Norton and Company, New York, NY, (2018) Previewed by David F. Winkler, Ph.D. NOTE: Having been asked to review Oceans Ventured for an academic journal later in the year where I will detail how this fits into the growing historiography of the
Osprey’s Soviet Destroyers of World War II (New Vanguard #256) by Alexander Hill; illustrated by Felipe Rodriguez Reviewed by Jeff Schultz Alexander Hill’s Soviet Destroyers of World War II fills an important gap in the neglected story of the tragedy and triumph of Soviet naval operations in World War II. Hill’s background in Soviet
Island of the Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on the World’s Greatest Scientific Expedition By Stephen R. Bown Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb, Independent Scholar Island of the Blue Foxes tells a gripping story that holds the reader’s attention while remaining a well-documented piece of nonfiction. Bown tells the story of two Russian Arctic treks: the unsuccessful
Armageddon and Paranoia: The Nuclear Confrontation Since 1945 by Rodic Braithwaite New York, Oxford University Press, 2018. 502 pp., $34.95 This book provides an overview of the part nuclear weapons have played within the world’s scientific, political, and military arena since the 1930s. While the main focus is on the development and deployment of
Davies, Peter E. US Navy F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War 1969-1973. Osprey Publishing, UK. 2018. 96 pages. Ill. $23. Peter Davies has written many Osprey books, including quite a few dealing with the F-4 in Vietnam. This new book, no. 125 in Osprey’s Combat Aircraft series, continuing the story from No. 116
Ginter, Steve with Joe Weathers, Jr. Vought SB2U Vindicator. 2018. 249 pp. Ill. $52.95. Number 106 in the successful Naval Fighters series, this new book is one of a few dedicated to Vought’s dive-bomber that saw very little combat but flew under at least three colors—U.S., French and British. Perhaps best known for
Naval Advising and Assistance: History, Challenges, and Analysis Edited by Donald Stoker and Michael T. McMaster Helion & Company Limited (2017) Reviewed by Kenneth J. Hagan, Ph.D. Ever since 1890, when Captain A.T. Mahan published his game-changing book, The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783, the strategic focus of the U.S. Navy has been
The Taking of K-129: How the CIA Used Howard Hughes to Steal a Russian Sub in the Most Daring Covert Operation in History By Josh Dean, Dutton, New York, (2017). Review by Capt. William H. Johnson USN (Ret.) As of 2018, many of the details of Project AZORIAN — the recovery of part of
American Sea Power in the Old World: The United States Navy in European and Near Eastern Waters, 1865-1917 By William N. Still Jr. Annapolis, MD, Naval Institute Press, (2018). Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart This book is a paperback reissue of the original edition published in 1980, which has not only withstood the test
Crashback: The Power Clash Between the U.S. and China in the Pacific by Michael Fabey, Scribner (2017) Reviewed by Diana B. West Crashback was written for the benefit of journalists, business people, or anyone who wants to understand the recent military confrontations in the South China Sea and why they should be concerned about it.
Ingram’s Fourth Fleet: U.S. and Royal Navy Operations Against German Runners, Raiders, and Submarines in the South Atlantic in World War II By Cdr. David D. Bruhn, USN (Ret.). Heritage Books, Berwyn Heights, MD, (2017) Reviewed by Charles Bogart Commander Bruhn has crafted an excellent introductory book about an important but forgotten theater of
