Interesting topic, disappointing book. There's a lot of interesting information and fascinating stories in this book; unfortunately, Bamford seems to have taken the information, put it in a blender, and spewed out the jumbled results into the book.

Chapters frequently jump back and forward decades, and divert into stories about individual characters in minor roles in events. It's difficult to keep dates and events straight in your head as you read.

Fortunately, Bamford breaks up the long and wandering stories with exceedingly bad similes, which provide moments of amusement.