Naval Institute Press
Black ops, Vietnam; the operational history of MACVSOG.
Working from recently declassified documents and memoirs, this history of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACVSOG) chronicles the activities of this secret, multi-service unit, as it conducted key covert operations in Vietnam and Laos and managed insurgent forces of Montangards, and others in US planned actions. The material is intended to provide a complete unit history for the nine years MACVSOG was active and includes detailed information on each of the group's operations, biographies of important personnel, and descriptions of unit structure and organization. The work includes maps and a useful glossary of terms and acronyms. Gillespie is an independent historian. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The elusive enemy; U.S. naval intelligence and the imperial Japanese fleet.
Drawing on recently available military documents, this history of military intelligence focuses on the successes and failures of US Naval intelligence in understanding and evaluating Japanese military capabilities in the Second World War. The work explores the technical difficulties of intelligence gathering and analysis as well as cultural and political stumbling blocks that left the US forces relatively badly informed as to their opponent's capabilities well into the conflict. Ford teaches military history at the University of Salford, UK. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Fighting for MacArthur; the Navy and Marine Corps' desperate defense of the Philippines.
The 1941-42 Philippine Campaign was a point of pride for Americans in spite of being the US's worst battlefield defeat, with 1,480 Marines and 2,300 officers and enlisted men of the Navy taken prisoner. This book chronicles the often-overlooked efforts of the Navy and the Marine Corps to support the US Army's defense of the Philippines, in the context of the role of the Army's activities, and explores the controversial role of Army General Douglas MacArthur in the campaign. The book draws on US and Japanese sources and contains three brief appendices on the Asiatic fleet, US Navy personnel, and Japanese artillery units. The bibliography lists books, articles, pamphlets, official documents, letters, and interviews. B&w historical photos and maps are included. Gordon is a defense analyst retired from the US Army. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Fighting spirit; the memoirs of major Yoshitaka Horie and the Battle of Iwo Jima.
This is an annotated translation of a memoir written by Imperial Japanese Army Major Yoshitaka Horie about his experience as a staff officer of the Iwo Jima defense command during 1944 and 1945. Horie's perspective on Japanese military strategy and why Iwo Jima was important to Japan offers World War II buffs a fascinating look into what was going through the minds of the enemy under siege during the famous battle. A few b&w photographs are provided. The original Japanese edition was published in 1965 by Kobunsha Publishing. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Five down, no glory; Frank G. Tinker, mercenary ace in the Spanish Civil War.
Mercenary airman Frank G. Tinker Jr. graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1933 and served as a flying ace in the Spanish Civil War. Coming from a working class background, he was equally comfortable with enlisted men and officers, left-wing literati in Europe, and rural folk of the American South. This biography describes Tinker's combat experiences and his command of a Soviet squadron in the Spanish Civil War under contract with Spain, offering insight on how the Spanish air war was fought and how the international aviators who flew for the Spanish Loyalist cause conducted themselves, perceived their role, and interacted with both the Spanish military system and the Soviet leadership of the Loyalist air arm. The book also describes his life on return to the US and the mystery surrounding his death in 1939. The book contains b&w historical photos, a chronology of the Spanish Civil War, an appendix on military airplane markings of the war, and a list of Tinker's publications and aerial victories. Smith has written a previous book on history. Hall is emeritus chief historian of the National Reconnaissance Office. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Joe Rochefort's war; the odyssey of the codebreaker who outwitted Yamamoto at Midway.
At the US Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Commander Joe Rochefort and his team cracked the Japanese navy's coded messages about a planned assault on Midway Atoll. In spite of his success, Rochefort was removed from his post at Pearl Harbor because of his inability to conform to the expectations of his superiors in Washington, who rejected his Midway prediction. Drawing on interviews with family members, officers, and enlisted men, this biography examines all phases of Rochefort's career, from his enlistment in 1918 to his legacy. An epilogue chronicles his colleagues' efforts to get the Distinguished Service Medal awarded to him posthumously. The book is illustrated with a wealth of personal and historical b&w photos and includes 10 pages of appendices offering documents and background on codebreaking. A 13-page bibliography lists material from the National Archives; material from associations, libraries, museums, and universities; oral histories and presentations; interviews and personal papers; dissertations and theses; Internet resources; and print sources. Carlson is a journalist. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Nelson's refuge; Gibraltar in the age of Napoleon.
Musteen (military history, US Military Academy, West Point) examines the role of Gibraltar in British strategy during the Napoleonic Wars, from 1793-1815. He describes how this period was a turning point in the military and naval history of Gibraltar, as it was converted from a defensive to offensive role for the British army and was combined with its strategic value for the Royal Navy. He briefly explains the history of Gibraltar, then discusses how its base allowed Horatio Nelson to achieve victories at the Nile and Trafalgar, and how it served as the base of secret negotiations that brought Spain to the British side during the Peninsular War. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Pacific Gibraltar; U.S.-Japanese rivalry over the annexation of Hawaii, 1885-1898.
Working from original research and a re-evaluation of existing sources, Morgan (Strategic Studies, Marine Corps War College) gives an account of the annexation of Hawaii during the Spanish-American war of 1898. Hawaii's position as the only comfortably habitual land mass within a radius of nearly 2,000 miles of Pacific Ocean makes it a strategically important base. Touching on Hawaii's colonial history for context, Morgan focuses on the years immediately prior to annexation, showing how the increasing political influence from Japan, increasing numbers of Japanese immigrants, and conflicts between the United States and Japan led the United States to finally take action and annex Hawaii. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Russian warships in the age of sail, 1696-1860; design, construction, careers, and fates.
This extraordinary reference results from a collaboration made possible by the internet between a Russian warship expert and an American ship enthusiast. John Tredrea (the American) persuaded Sozaev that an English-language reference would be feasible and well received. Sozaev provided the ship data and background material, and Tredrea wrote the introductory text from the perspective of a western reader. The volume is oversize (10x11.75"), elegantly produced on coated stock, and illustrated with drawings, lithographs, and paintings (in black & white). (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Six essential elements of leadership; Marine Corps wisdom of a Medal of Honor recipient.
Colonel Fox, who has written two military memoirs, draws on his leadership experience in the Marine Corps, where he served from 1950 to 1993, to identify six elements that are key to successful leadership in all areas. These are: care, personality, knowledge, motivation, commitment, and communication. He discusses the definition of leadership, the differences between leadership and management, sources of leaders, principles, and historical traits, using examples of how he, his superiors, and fellow Marines led others. He ends by detailing lessons he learned about leadership and profiling select colleagues. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
