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New Release Books on WW2
Ooops, another new aviation release that may interest a few folks in the group:
A Ruddy Awful Waste: Eric Lock DSO, DFC & Bar: The Brief Life of a Battle of Britain Ace by Steve BrewDescription:
In early 1939, 19-year-old Salopian Eric Lock joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve to fulfil his dream of flying. Within eighteen months, he found himself pitted against one of the largest air forces in the world, fighting for the survival of his homeland in a pivotal battle that, if lost, had the potential to change the course of world history. As his training was not completed until after the Dunkirk evacuations, he was not posted to his first operational unit, 41 Squadron, until late June 1940, just prior to the commencement of the Battle of Britain.
Displaying a natural aptitude for aerial combat in his Spitfire, a number of spectacular victories quickly ensued and Lock became an Ace within four weeks of his first operational sortie. For a period during September 1940, he even maintained a 100 per cent strike rate: one victory for every operational sortie he had flown. In mere weeks he rose from anonymity to become a household name and hero of the nation. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross in September 1940, a second in October, and a Distinguished Service Order in November. Ultimately, he claimed twenty confirmed victories during the Battle of Britain, and was the top-scoring RAF Ace of the campaign. However, it did not come without a price and Lock was seriously wounded in action in November 1940. Hit in three limbs by rounds fired from a German fighter, he spent the ensuing six months recuperating, and underwent three skin grafting operations performed by gifted plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe. Lock returned to front line operations with 611 Squadron in summer 1941, but sadly failed to return from a routine patrol to France just six weeks later.
A Ruddy Awful Waste tells Eric Lock's full story for the first time. It reveals the man behind the legend, uncovers his legacy, dispels myths, and analyses open questions. We witness his highs and his lows, we feel his joy and his pain, and we grieve with his family as they struggle to come to terms with his loss. This is the definitive account of the short life of this very brave young man, and cements his place as one of Britain's true national heroes.
A December release:
by Richard Meredith Description:
Based on forty years of detailed research, Phoenix – A Complete History of the Luftwaffe 1918–1945 is a unique history of the wartime German Luftwaffe. Going far beyond a simple description of famous air battles and operations, the overall work draws extensively on original documents, secondary sources and contemporary accounts to place the Luftwaffe within its proper historical context, gather together its many disparate components and provide a hitherto unpublished balance to its diverse activities.
In addition to the lead role of the combat air forces, the history provides a proper emphasis to the largely unsung work of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Luftwaffe ground forces, Signals Service and the Medical Services. It also examines in detail the vital work of the huge training organization, and the organization and role of a continent-wide ground organization.
All theaters are covered, thus placing a much needed emphasis on the Luftwaffe’s momentous struggle in the East, a theater of operations that was always more urgent and more vital to the Wehrmacht. Throughout this work Luftwaffe activities are set within the wider role of overall military operations and Luftwaffe activity is therefore placed back within its proper context in the overall European conflict.
Volume 2: The Phoenix Matures 1935–1937 covers a still neglected area, namely the early years of post-Reichswehr development from March 1935. During this period the concept of operativer Luftkrieg was formalized, operational commands established, new units and bases created, new equipment introduced and the training of personnel expanded. Key studies include: the formation of the Flakartillerie, the Luftwaffe General Staff, Luftwaffe uniforms, the construction program of 1935–39, the development and production of new combat aircraft and weapons, flying training, the Luftwaffen-Reserve, the supply organization, the development of the Regiment General Goring and the remilitarization of the Rhineland. In addition the Luftwaffe’s involvement in Spain is considered in depth from initial operations by the German volunteers to the deployment of the Legion Condor in the battles around Madrid and on the Northern Front.
And a May 2017 release:
by Richard Meredith (no photo)Description:
Based on forty years of detailed research, the Phoenix Project is a unique history of the wartime German Luftwaffe. Going far beyond a simple description of famous air battles and operations the overall work draws extensively on original documents, secondary sources and contemporary accounts to place the Luftwaffe within its proper historical context, gather together its many disparate components and provide a hitherto unpublished balance to its diverse activities. In addition to the lead role of the combat air forces the history provides a proper emphasis to the largely unsung work of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Luftwaffe ground forces, Signals Service and the Medical Services. It also examines in detail the vital work of the huge training organization and the organization and role of a continent-wide ground organization. All theaters are covered thus placing a much needed emphasis on the Luftwaffe’s momentous struggle in the East, a theater of operations that was always more urgent and more vital to the Wehrmacht.
Throughout this work Luftwaffe activities are set within the wider role of overall military operations and Luftwaffe activity is therefore placed back within its proper context in the overall European conflict. Vol.3: A Growing Confidence covers the immediate prewar period during which the Luftwaffe played a decisive role in the successful Anschluss with Austria, the occupation of the Sudetenland and Bohemia-Moravia and in the final success of Nationalist arms in Spain. This was a period of major expansion and re-equipment and this volume complements Vol.2 by examining in detail a range of topics which include the pre-war development of the Heeresflieger, Lehrtruppen, Seeluftstreitkrafte, Luftnachrichtentruppe and Fallschirmtruppe. There are also detailed studies of the flying training syllabus, flight safety and the use of motor vehicles.
As with Vol.2 a major part of this book is devoted to events in Spain including on this occasion Brunete, Teurel, the Nationalist offensive in Aragon, the Battle of the Ebro and the occupation of Catalonia. The structure of the Phoenix Project is totally unique. Five major themes run throughout the history’s constituent volumes – (A) Strategy and Command, (B) Ministerial Activity, (C) Technology and Production, (D) Infrastructure and Training, and (E) Operations. These divisions enable the reader to pursue particular areas of interest throughout the overall work or to look at the interrelationships between the various aspects of Luftwaffe activity.
*Snif* 3 books just to get to the war ? They're pricey.
I know, right? I'm guessing the actual war will take more than one volume as well.
A November release:
by Michael G. WallingDescription:
For the men who served in America's Amphibious Forces during World War II, the conflict was an unceasing series of D-Days. They were responsible for putting men ashore in more than 200 landings throughout the conflict, most against well-entrenched enemy positions. Bloodstained Sands: US Amphibious Operations in World War II tells the story of these forgotten men for the first time, tracing their operational history from Guadalcanal to Casablanca, Sicily, Normandy, Iwo Jima, and finally Okinawa. The men's stories are told in their own voices, with fascinating accounts from Underwater Demolition Teams, Attack Transport crews, and many other unsung heroes of World War II.
First-hand interviews, entries from personal diaries, and Action Reports create a unique history, perfectly complemented by historic illustrations and detailed maps. These are timeless tales of determination, sacrifice, and triumph of the human spirit--tales of US Amphibious Forces that for too long have gone forgotten and untold.
Should make for interesting reading, thanks for posting the details Jerome.
This new release is apparently due out this month and may interest some in the group:
Alamein by Simon BallDescription:
El Alamein was one of the pivotal battles of the Second World War, fought by armies and air forces on the cutting edge of military technology. Yet Alamein has always had a patchy reputation - with many commentators willing to knock its importance. This book explains just why El Alamein is such a controversial battle. Based on an intensive reading of the contemporary sources, in particular the extensive and recently declassified British bugging of Axis prisoners of war, military historian Simon Ball turns Alamein on its head, explaining it as a cultural defeat for Britain. Alamein is a military history of the battle - showing how different it looks stripped of later cultural excrescences. But it also shows how 'Alamein culture' saturated the post-war world, when archival sources mingled with film, novels, magazines, popular histories, and the rest of Alamein's footprint. Whether you are interested in the battle itself or its cultural afterlife, if you have an opinion about Alamein, you'll question it after reading this book.
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "This new release is apparently due out this month and may interest some in the group:Alamein by Simon BallDescription:
El Alamein was ..."
Thanks, yes, I'll look for it.
The Lost Eleven: The Forgotten Story of Black American Soldiers Brutally Massacred in World War II by Denise George and Robert Child.Slated for publication: February 7, 2017
This little known story from one of the bloodiest battles of World War II is centered on 11 African American soldiers who were serving with the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion (FAB) during the initial stages of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944.
Amid the chaos and confusion of the battle, these men fought bravely. But the Germans continued to attack in strength, both infantry and tank units. Various U.S. units were scattered and groups of GIs, now on the run, sought to either join up with remnants of units or get back to the American lines further west.
By nightfall on December 17, 1944, the 11 men from Service Battery and C Battery of the 333rd FAB reached the "tiny village of Wereth [Belgium], just northeast of St. Vith where they were taken in by Mathias and Maria Langer."
Unfortunately for these men --- Curtis Adams of South Carolina; Mager Bradley of Mississippi; George Davis Jr. of Alabama; Thomas Forte of Mississippi; Robert Green of Georgia; James Leatherwood of Mississippi; Nathaniel Moss of Texas; George Motten of Texas; William Pritchett of Alabama; James Stewart of West Virginia; and Due Turner of Arkansas --- a German sympathizer informed the Germans of their presence in Wereth. A patrol from the the 1st SS Panzer Division approached the house where the 11 GIs had been given food and shelter. Not wanting to endanger the lives of the Langers, they surrendered peacefully to the Germans.
"They were [then] led out of the village to a small, muddy field. Over the next several hours, all eleven were tortured, beaten and shot dead." One month later, "a patrol from the 99th Infantry Division was directed to the site by villagers. What they found was horrific. Legs had been broken. Many had bayonet wounds to the head. Skulls crushed. Even some of their fingers were cut off. Army investigators were called to the site along with Signal Corps cameramen to record the grisly find."
Soon after the war, the atrocities at Wereth were forgotten by the U.S. Army. This was in contrast to what happened in the matter of the Malmedy massacre, in which 84 white GIs were murdered in cold blood by troops of the Waffen SS on the same day as the 11 African American GIs in Wereth. A year after the war, there was a trial for the surviving SS soldiers who had been responsible for the Malmedy massacre. On the other hand, no-one was ever called to account for the deaths of the 11 GIs in Wereth. More than 50 years would pass before their story began to become more widely known.
Should be a good book Komet, thanks for posting the details.
For those who have an interest in German commerce raiders of WW2 this new book may take your fancy:
False Flags: Disguised German Raiders of World War II by Stephen RobinsonDescription:
False Flags tells the epic untold story of German raider voyages to the South Seas during the early years of World War II. In 1940 the raiders Orion, Komet, Pinguin, and Kormoran left Germany and waged a "pirate war" in the South Seas as part of Germany's strategy to attack the British Empire's maritime trade on a global scale. Their extraordinary voyages spanned the globe and are maritime sagas in the finest tradition of seafaring.
The four raiders voyaged across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans as well as the Arctic and Antarctic. They sank or captured 62 ships in a forgotten naval war that is now being told in its entirety for the first time. The Orion and Komet terrorised the South Pacific and New Zealand waters before Pearl Harbor when the war was supposed to be far away. The Pinguin sank numerous Allied merchant ships in the Indian Ocean before mining the approaches to Australian ports and capturing the Norwegian whaling fleet in Antarctica. The Kormoran raided the Atlantic but will always be remembered for sinking the Australian cruiser Sydney off Western Australia, killing all 645 sailors on board in tragic circumstances.
False Flags is also the story of the Allied sailors who encountered these raiders and fought suicidal battles against a superior foe as well as the men, women and children who endured captivity on board the raiders as prisoners of the Third Reich. False Flags is an engrossing tale that will appeal to not only military experts, but also to anyone interested in Maritime History.
I know this November 2016 (UK) release is bound to interest a number of the group members:
The White Sniper: Simo Hayha by Tapio SaarelainenDescription:
Simo Hayha (1905-2002) is the most famous sniper in the world. During the Winter War fought between Russia and Finland in 1939 - 1940 he had 542 confirmed kills with iron sights, a record that still stands today. He has been a role model for snipers all over the world and paved the way for them by demonstrating their significance on the battlefield. Simo Hayha was a man of action who spoke very little, but he was hugely respected by his men and his superiors and given many difficult missions, including taking out specific targets. Able to move silently and swiftly through the landscape, melting into the snowbound surroundings in his white camouflage fatigues, his aim was deadly and his quarry rarely escaped. The Russians learned of his reputation as a marksman and tried several times to kill him by indirect fire. He was promoted from corporal to second lieutenant and he was awarded the Cross of Kollaa. For sniping Simo Hayha only ever used his own m/28-30 rifle. Eventually his luck ran out and Simo received a serious head wound on March 6, 1940, though he subsequently recovered. After the war Simo Hayha lead a quiet, unassuming life in farming and forestry. His roots were deep in the Finnish soil and he loved life in rural Finland. A true patriot, he epitomized the traits of a professional soldier, performing his duty and setting an example of bravery that personified the Finnish spirit when confronted by the Russian onslaught. The White Sniper fully explores Simo Hayha's life, his exploits in the Winter War, the secrets behind his success including character and technique, and also includes a detailed look at his rifle itself.
One more notification of a new release for September 2016 (UK) that is bound to attract some interest:
Dawn Attack: The Battle of Narvik, April 1940 by Alf JacobsenDescription:
In the great and gallant tradition of the Royal Navy, Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee followed the call of Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, to lead his flotilla into hostile waters through 50 miles of blizzards. His ships delivered a crushing blow to the Nazi German squadron then occupying Narvik, the famous Arctic iron-ore port.
Only moments later, a salvo of German shells smashed the bridge of HMS Hardy, killing Warburton-Lee and several of his officers. His last signal to his fellow men was without fear: ‘Keep on engaging the enemy!’ With his death, the Royal Navy had lost one of its youngest and most talented officers: a truly human hero.
Death at Dawn is the epic retelling of the first Battle of Narvik, fought over the course of two days, during which two German destroyers were sunk and six damaged. Utilising first-hand accounts, including letters from Warburton-Lee to his wife Elizabeth, Alf R. Jacobsen crafts the events leading up to and during the conflict into a gripping tale of human courage at the edges of the earth.
A June 2017 release:
by Graham A Thomas Description:
During the Allied advance across northwest Europe in 1944, the opening up of the key port of Antwerp was a pivotal event, yet it has been neglected in histories of the conflict. The battles in Normandy and on the German frontier have been studied often and in detail, while the fight for the Scheldt estuary, Walcheren and Antwerp itself has been treated as a sideshow. Graham Thomas s timely and graphic account underlines the importance of this aspect of the Allied campaign and offers a fascinating insight into a complex combined-arms operation late in the Second World War.
Using operational reports and vivid firsthand eyewitness testimony, he takes the reader alongside 21 Army Group as it cleared the Channel ports of Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk, then moved on to attack the Scheldt and the island stronghold of Walcheren. Overcoming entrenched German resistance there was essential to the whole operation, and it is the climax of his absorbing narrative.
Hitler knew very well the importance of Antwerp, hence his targeting the port with rockets to try and destroy it. I agree most historians do not give much attention to it, and other ports.
Speaking of Antwerp, has anyone read this one:
Battle for Antwerp: The Liberation of the City and the Opening of the Scheldt, 1944It's been sitting on my shelf for a LONG time and I'd like to hear anyone's thoughts on it.
Marc wrote: "Speaking of Antwerp, has anyone read this one: [book:Battle for Antwerp: The Liberation of t..."Make a TLOMS list.
Jerome wrote: "A June 2017 release: by Graham A Thomas ."
Great news, Jerome. So far it's been a close to home but undrwritten subect; all I ever came across was a translation (which needs adding here) as " the fight for the Sheldt" of Whitaker father & son's Tug of war.
Apparently, there's also this:
by Peter BealeBut, yeah, I haven't come across many books on the topic.
Marc wrote: "Speaking of Antwerp, has anyone read this one: [book:Battle for Antwerp: The Liberation of t..."There is a memorial plaque in the city of Antwerp commemorating the contribution of Canadian soldiers
Colin wrote: "Hitler knew very well the importance of Antwerp, hence his targeting the port with rockets to try and destroy it. I agree most historians do not give much attention to it, and other ports."My father's battery was supporting 49th W Yorks Infantry and 1st Polish Armour (both part of 1st Canadian Army) in their efforts to relieve the left flank of the Nijmegen salient when Ike's orders switched absolute priority to opening Antwerp - which meant clearing both banks of the Scheldt. Cue rapid left turn. In the confusion the gunners arrived at their first billet ahead of the infantry, so had to pick up their rifles and go looking for German patrols reported in the area. Their luck held - they didn't find any!
Of course that meant the poor souls in the salient - 50th, if I recall - had to hold out a little longer.
Here is an October 2016 release that I am sure will interest a few group members:
Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe by Robert MatzenDescription:
In March 1941, Jimmy Stewart, America's boy next door and recent Academy Award winner, left fame and fortune behind and joined the United States Army Air Corps to fulfill his family mission and serve his country. He rose from private to colonel and participated in 20 often-brutal World War II combat missions over Germany and France. In mere months the war took away his boyish looks as he faced near-death experiences and the loss of men under his command. The war finally won, he returned home with millions of other veterans to face an uncertain future, suffering what we now know as PTSD. Younger stars like Gregory Peck were now getting roles that might have been Stewart's, and he didn't know if he would ever work in Hollywood again. Then came It's a Wonderful Life.
For the next half century, Stewart refused to discuss his combat experiences and took the story of his service to the grave. Mission presents the first in-depth look at Stewart's life as a Squadron Commander in the skies over Germany, and, his return to Hollywood the changed man who embarked on production of America s most beloved holiday classic.
Author Robert Matzen sifted through thousands of Air Force combat reports and the Stewart personnel files; interviewed surviving aviators who flew with Stewart; visited the James Stewart Papers at Brigham Young University; flew in the cockpits of the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator; and walked the earth of air bases in England used by Stewart in his combat missions of 1943-45. What emerges in Mission is the story of a Jimmy Stewart you never knew until now, a story more fantastic than any he brought to the screen.
Another June 2017 release:
bty Daniel Allen ButlerDescription:
A tense and fast-paced account of the development of the conflict between the US and Japan, ultimately resulting in the devastating bombing of Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 which caused large-scale destruction of American forces and led the USA into World War II. Pearl seeks to uncover the real reasons why the leaders of the US failed to pick up the huge threat to their security until it was too late, and why the Japanese felt the compulsion to launch an attack in the first place. Was Roosevelt's confidence in the safety of America misplaced? Did arrogance on both sides make the war inevitable?
Pearl is an excellent exploration of where the culpability lies, as the reader is placed at the heart of the action of the attack on Pearl Harbor that left 2,337 American citizens dead. Many stories of individual heroism and cowardice emerge as essential parts of the Pearl Harbor narrative, as Pearl follows the American and Japanese navies in their fights to protect their nations.
Jerome wrote: "Another June 2017 release: bty Daniel Allen ButlerDescription:
A tense and fast-paced account of the development of the c..."
It's surprising to me that they didn't hustle that book out before the upcoming 75th anniversary.
Jerome wrote: "Another June 2017 release: bty Daniel Allen ButlerDescription:
A tense and fast-paced account of the development of the c..."
The Japanese counterpart, not a new release, is:
Japan Prepares for Total War: The Search for Economic Security, 1919 1941
A July 2017 release:
by Harry PlevyDescription:
Ostensibly fought for control of Swedish iron ore to Germany, the campaign made an important but largely overlooked contribution to the conduct of the Second World War. It convincingly proved the supremacy of air power in modern warfare and, particularly, the vulnerability of land and sea forces to sustained undefended air assault. It was the first conflict in which one side, the German, used all three arms of their forces in integrated combined assault―Blitzkreig―and in which parachute and glider-borne troops were used to secure airfields and strategic targets. The Allies (Britain, France, Norway and Poland) in contrast tried to conduct the Campaign on land with inadequate air support and virtually the sole use of infantrymen.
The book deals, in an integrated and comprehensive manner with the strategic and political imperatives, as well as operations, in a complex and rapidly changing two month campaign. While other books on the Campaign have tended to focus on a limited perspective such as naval operations, or on the higher levels of political decision making, without combatant or personal perspective, this book makes much use of contemporary writings and eye witness accounts, many previously unpublished, of the people actually involved in the Campaign.
Another:
by Don BrownDescription:
From April to August of 1945, Captain Jerry Yellin and a small group of fellow fighter pilots flew dangerous bombing and strafe missions out of Iwo Jima over Japan. Even days after America dropped the atomic bombs—on Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9—the pilots continued to fly. Though Japan had suffered unimaginable devastation, the emperor still refused to surrender.
New York Times bestselling author Don Brown (Treason) sits down with Yelllin, now ninety-one years old, to tell the incredible true story of the final combat mission of World War II. Nine days after Hiroshima, on the morning of August 15th, Yellin and his wingman 1st Lieutenant Phillip Schlamberg took off from Iwo Jima to bomb Tokyo. By the time Yellin returned to Iwo Jima, the war was officially over—but his young friend Schlamberg would never get to hear the news. The Last Fighter Pilot is a harrowing first-person account of war from one of America's last living World War II veterans.
A May 2017 release:
by Anthony Tucker-Jones Description:
In the summer of 1941, a collective madness overtook Adolf Hitler and his senior generals. They convinced themselves that they could take on and defeat a superpower in the making - the Soviet Union. Foolishly, they thought in a swift campaign they could smash the Red Army and force Stalin to sue for peace, despite their adversary boasting much larger numbers of men and equipment. The end result would be such carnage that it would tear the German forces apart. In his major reassessment of the war on the Eastern Front, Anthony Tucker-Jones casts new light on the brutal fighting on the Eastern Front, in such astounding German defeats as at Stalingrad and Kursk. He controversially contends that intelligence officers on both sides failed to influence their leadership resulting in untold slaughter and reveals the blunders from Hitler, Stalin and Churchill that led to the shocking, needless destruction of Hitler's armed forces as early as the winter of 1941-42. Step by step, Tucker-Jones describes how the German war machine fought to its very last against a relentless enemy, fully aware that defeat was inevitable.
Thanks for posting the details on those two new releases Jerome, they are sure to be of interest to some of the group members.
My Christmas wishlist is filling out nicely with the above releases!
Ok I know not many of you will fly in for this, butjust in case anyone is in the Central Texas area:
A buddy of mine is friends with Jim Hornfischer
and has arranged for Jim to give a talk on his
latest book:
"The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific 1944-1945".
for the Kiwanas of Austin. This is a small group and will be
much like meeting Jim in your living room. Also a chance
to purchase a book and/or have your books
autographed. All are welcome.
Kiwanas Meeting room
Monday November 21st 10am
Senior Activity Center
2874 Shoal Creek
Austin, Texas
carl wrote: "Ok I know not many of you will fly in for this, butjust in case anyone is in the Central Texas area:
A buddy of mine is friends with Jim Hornfischer
and has arranged for Jim to give a talk on his..."
Got any buddies in the San Francisco Bay Area who could get Mr. Hornfischer to stop by?
Mmm, not that I can think of Marc, but maybe I can get him to check his schedule. Hehe! Marc wrote: "carl wrote: "Ok I know not many of you will fly in for this, but
just in case anyone is in the Central Texas area:
A buddy of mine is friends with Jim Hornfischer
and has arranged for Jim to give ..."
Does sound very interesting, too bad it's not closer...did read Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 by Max Hastings
A March 2017 release:
by Philip KaplanDescription:
Beginning in 1942, the Eighth Air Force began a precision bombing raid offensive deep into Nazi Germany, embarking from bases in rural England. Nearly 350,000 Americans were transplanted to English soil, joining their British colleagues for this joint Allied offensive. For many it was a period of great risk, and arguably the greatest adventure of their lives.
With Wings As Eagles celebrates the heroics of these pilots and their missions. A lavishly illustrated, full-color, hardcover original, the narrative is the result of the author’s exclusive interviews with many of the pilots and crew, as well as research from contemporary diaries, journals, and scrapbooks. Readers relive the nostalgia and vivid reminiscences — of days of seemingly endless boredom and fatigue, the loneliness of soaring in an aluminum cocoon four miles over an intended target, and a surprising account of parachuting onto German soil and being captured by women and children.
Another:
by John WukovitsDescription:
When Admiral William Halsey selected Destroyer Squadron 21 (Desron 21) to lead his victorious ships into Tokyo Bay to accept the Japanese surrender, he chose the most battle-hardened US naval squadron of the war. But it was not the squadron of ships that had accumulated such an inspiring résumé; it was the people serving aboard them who won the battles. This is the story of Desron 21’s heroic sailors whose battle history is the stuff of legend.
Through diaries, personal interviews with survivors, and letters written to and by the crew during the war, John Wukovits brings to life the human story of the squadron and its men who bested the Japanese in the Pacific and helped take the war to Tokyo.
Are these the same ships/units from The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour ?
Jerome wrote: "Another: by John WukovitsDescription:
When Admiral William ..."
Oh, I'm definitely getting this one! Thanks for the info!
Wukovits has written two of my very favorite books:
One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawaand
Hell from the Heavens: The Epic Story of the USS Laffey and World War II's Greatest Kamikaze Attack
USS Laffey is moored next to the USS Yortown (2nd carrier to bear name) in Mt. Pleasnt, SC. gave a few lectures there.
A June 2017 release:
by Waldo Heinrichs (no photo)Description:
By the time of the dropping of the atom bomb in August 1945, the United States military situation in the Pacific was in disarray. As an Army staff officer stated simply, "The capitulation of Hirohito saved our necks."
In 1944, a year earlier, success seemed near, but squabbling in the military command and the logistical challenges of launching a full-scale invasion of the Japanese mainland soon took their toll, and by the time of V.E. Day it was questionable whether the United States was up to the task of ending the war in the Pacific. An exhausted American public was calling for troops to come home and for the country to return to manufacturing consumer items instead of arms. Republican politicians called for the Allies to back away from the demand for unconditional surrender. The politically powerful constituency of GIs won legislative victories, allowing soldiers more easily to leave the military and depleting units just as they most needed experienced soldiers.
Weaving together analysis of grand strategy with a vivid narrative depicting the brutal, debilitating, and often terrifying experience of combat, Waldo Heinrichs and Marc Gallicchio bring to life the final year in the Pacific. They explore the lives of the soldiers, sailors, and Marines who faced illness, drenching rain, and tenacious Japanese opponents. They also evoke the grand, clashing personalities of Douglas MacArthur and George C. Marshall, who warned of "the agony of enduring battle," and shed light on the views of President Roosevelt, who doubted Americans' understanding of the conflict and worried about a public mood that oscillated between overconfidence and despair. After the bloodletting on Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the war against Japan seemed more repugnant and less meaningful than the struggle against Germany. It is in this context, of military emergency and patience wearing thin, that a new president, Harry S. Truman, made the decision to deploy the atomic bomb.
This remarkable, gripping narrative challenges assumptions about the inevitability of the war's outcome, the consequences of the "Europe first" strategy, and the wisdom of America's leaders.
Another:
by Bill SloanDescription:
The battle of Saipan lasted twenty-five hellish days in the summer of 1944, and the stakes couldn't have been higher. If Japan lost possession of the island, all hope for victory would be lost. For the Americans, the island was the only obstacle between them and the Japanese mainland. The outcome of the war in the Pacific was in the balance.
Their Backs against the Sea fuses fresh interviews, oral histories, and unpublished accounts into a fast-paced narrative of the Battle of Saipan. Combining grunt's-view grit with big-picture panorama (and one of the ugliest inter-service controversies of the war), this is the definitive dramatic story of one of the war's toughest and most overlooked battles— and an inspiring chronicle of some of the greatest acts of valor in American military history.
Two good books there Jerome. Will have to add them to the TBR.
Jerome wrote: "Another: by Bill SloanDescription:
The battle of Saipan lasted ..."
Hmmm...looks interesting. Sloan's book on Peleliu was excellent, but I found his book on Okinawa to be just okay. Haven't read his book on the fall of the Philippines, but I've read mixed reviews on it.
Dimitri wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Another new book out by Osprey that should interest some in the group:[bookcover:Operation Agreement: Jewish Commandos of the Special Interrogation Group in the War Against ..."
I thought this was a film starring Rock Hudson and George Peppard.
that sounds like a very interesting book I will add this to my WW2 pile. Thank you.
A February 2017 release:
by Bryn EvansDescription:
After a long series of crushing defeats by the apparently unstoppable Japanese air and ground forces, the eventual fight back and victory in Burma was achieved as a result of the exercise of unprecedented combined services cooperation and operations. Crucial to this was the Allies supremacy in the air coupled with their ground/air support strategy.
Using veterans firsthand accounts, Air Battle For Burma reveals the decisive nature of Allied air power in inflicting the first major defeat on the Japanese Army in the Second World War. Newly equipped Spitfire fighter squadrons made the crucial difference at the turning point battles of the Admin Box, Imphal and Kohima in 1944. Air superiority allowed Allied air forces to deploy and supply Allied ground troops on the front line and raids deep into enemy territory with relative impunity; revolutionary tactics never before attempted on such a scale.
By covering both the strategic and tactical angles, through these previously unpublished personal accounts, this fine book is a fitting and overdue tribute to Allied air forces contribution to victory in Burma.
May look into this one. I don't knowmuch about the air war in Burma.
THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Scott McGaugh (other topics)Scott McGaugh (other topics)
Scott McGaugh (other topics)
James M. Scott (other topics)
James M. Scott (other topics)
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Description:
In what has been described as the greatest raid of all , Operation Chariot saw heavy destruction of the enemy-occupied port of St Nazaire by British forces. Winged Chariot examines the role that the RAF played during this epic raid on 28th March 1942. With focus on the planning and actions of the operation, Peter Lush explores the three functions carried out by the RAF; the sweeping of the Bay of Biscay, the diversionary raid and protecting the withdrawing survivors. He also outlines the importance of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit to the raid and the development of the Bomber and Coastal Commands particularly through the sorties flown by Coastal Command two days before the attack started.The book also highlights the difficulties that occurred for the RAF when the diversionary raid was carried out with impossible conditions, and the ensuing loss of aircraft across Yorkshire and in the Channel. Lush examines whether greater success could have been achieved if the RAF had not been marginalised during the planning process for Operation Chariot. With the 75th anniversary of the operation in 2017, this timely and ultimate account written by an expert who has collated over forty years worth of research is an essential work for all those interested in military aviation, particularly during the Second World War.