Andrew S. Erickson, Ed. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2016) Reviewed by Dwayne Day, Ph.D. On April 26, China’s first indigenously-built aircraft carrier, still lacking a name, slipped into the sea. The smart-looking vessel bears a strong resemblance to China’s only operational carrier, built by the Soviets and bought from Ukraine. This new ship will
By Peter E. Davies, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, UK and New York, NY (2016) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter Mersky, USNR (Ret.) No. 116 in the highly successful Combat Aircraft series from this prolific publisher and author, this new book is an excellent compilation of Navy squadrons that flew the F-4 in Southeast Asia. It’s one of
By Matthew T. Eng The Naval Historical Foundation is gearing up for our annual meeting on Saturday, 3 June. This year’s focus will be the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway. Our guest speaker this year will be Dr. Timothy Orr, co-author of Never Call Me a Hero: A Legendary American Dive-Bomber Pilot Remembers
By Dave Stockwell, Book Publishers Network (2016) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter B Mersky, USN (Ret.) The Vietnam War (roughly 1964-1973) was not only a series of albeit hard-fought, bloody aerial campaigns by aircrews who flew from hot, humid airfields throughout Southeast Asia, or the equally hot, humid undulating flight decks of Seventh Fleet carriers in
By AW1 Marc J. Frattasio, USNR (Ret), Self-Published (2016) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter D. Mersky, USN (Ret.) When you get a huge book like this with more than 700 heavily illustrated pages, it is a true labor of love. The author is a retired P-3 aircrewman and knows of which he writes. His wife is
By Kevin Emmet Foley, Hellgate Press, Ashland, OR (2016) Reviewed by William H. White Fort Enterprize is listed and sold as “historical fiction.” It is certainly fiction, but its historical claim leaves much to be desired. When a writer injects a fictitious character or several into an accurately portrayed historical context, it’s historical fiction; when
Sat, June 3, 2017 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM EDT Cold War Gallery, Washington Navy Yard Join with other members as we commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway and celebrate the character and courage of the greatest generation. In addition to the business portion of our agenda, we have a special program
By Lisle A. Rose, University of Missouri Press, Columbia, MO (2016) Reviewed by Capt. Andrew C. A. Jampoler, USN (Ret.) Dr. Lisle Rose has taken on a challenge in this, his seventh book for the U. of M. Press. This history of U.S. Navy operations during World War I rightly begins by explaining that the
By John Wukovits, Da Capo Press, Boston, MA (2017) Reviewed by Charles Bogart The U.S. Navy’s World War II operational history in the Pacific is the story of destroyers, Tin Cans, engaging Japanese surface ships, submarines, and airplanes. The author, within the pages of this book, allows the reader to become part of the ships
By Eric Wentz, Tate Publishing, Mustang, OK (2013) Reviewed by Capt. Ralph L. DeFalco III, USN (Ret.) A novel in the best tradition of the works of Frederick Forsyth and Dan Brown, Killing Sharks: De Profundis by Eric Wentz is a thriller that takes the reader from the desolate mountains of the FATA on the
By Norman Friedman, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2016) Reviewed by Corbin Williamson, Ph.D. Fighters Over the Fleet takes prolific author Norman Friedman into one of the few areas of naval weaponry he has not previously examined.[1] Building on his earlier work on aircraft carrier development with Thomas Hone and Mark Mandeles as well as Freidman’s
By Christopher P. Magra, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK (2016) Reviewed by John R. Satterfield, DBA Although impressment, or the taking men by force into military or naval service, has been widely practiced throughout history, the British Royal Navy (RN) is most often associated with its use. For about 150 years, from the late 17th
By David F. Winkler, NHF Director of Programs The recent interception of two Russian Tu-95 Bear reconnaissance aircraft off Alaska by Air Force F-22 Raptors earlier this week is reminiscent during the 1960s through 1980s when such interceptions were a common occurrence, especially off the Eastern U.S. coast when large Soviet turboprop aircraft flew down
By Matthew T. Eng Photo archivists at the Naval History and Heritage Command recently posted three new digital exhibits highlighting a variety of interesting and insightful subjects on the history and organization of the United States Navy. These presentations help transform photographs from their two-dimensional state into a fun and interactive learning experience for anyone
In April 1988, Cdr. Arthur N. Langston was embarked on the carrier Enterprise – his first deployment on the famed carrier – and recalled how naval aviation came into play during Operation Praying Mantis. On April 14, the frigate Samuel B. Roberts struck an Iranian-laid mine in the Persian Gulf. In retaliation, on April 18,
