No comments about Civil War Battles and Leaders.

5 comments about Hap Arnold and the Evolution of American Airpower.

1. Hap Arnold was the most important American airman of the 20th century, since it was he who created the gigantic war machine of the USAAF that flattened Germany and Japan. How curious that he has never before had a real biography--just kid stuff, really.

   Daso has filled the gap with a thorough-going biography combined with a history of the development of US airpower during the first half of the century. Personally, I don't find Arnold a sympathetic figure. He was an indifferent student and even an indifferent aviator. However, he got along with men of power, including President Roosevelt and General George Marshall, and he was a logistical genius.

   Daso tells the yarn of Arnold getting his advisers together in 1940 and asking them how many planes they needed over the new few years. "Be bold!" he urged them. They came up with a total of about 100. "To hell with you," Arnold replied, and asked for 100,000. He not only got the planes but the men to fly them, and for that the world owes him a debt it can never repay.

   This isn't an exciting book, but it's a valuable one.




2. Dik Alan Daso's "Hap Arnold and the Evolution of American Air Power" of the Smithsonian History of Aviation Series is an incomplete, if interesting and well-written volume about a unique and visionary man.

   Daso's book is an intimate look at General of the Army Henry Arnold from birth up until about 1939. At that point the work becomes distinctly sketchy and leaves out a number of incidents documented in other works, or treats them very lightly. These include several controversies that involved Arnold.

   It may be that Daso considered the story delineated in his sub-title did not require treatment of these topics, or that he is too close to his subject. A review by Overy describes the volume as a "sympathetic biography" and one is led to wonder if, out of admiration, Daso tread a little bit lightly around a few issues.

   With respect to his treatment of Arnold outside the years of 1939-1945, Daso's is an excellent and readable biography that provides such human detail as to make Hap Arnold live again for the reader. Through Daso's writing Arnold becomes someone you might know and sympathize with, and admire. There is little to criticize in this portion of the effort.

   Unfortunately, the gross lack of detail during the period of World War II greatly diminishes the value of this volume as anything more than a personal biography. Daso's failure to treat this period in detail leaves gaping voids for any to evaluate where Hap Arnold really stood on a number of the great controversies surrounding the air war. Other than a few sentences here and there which seem to treat these matters as foregone conclusions worthy of little or no attention, they go unremarked upon.

   Thus there is little examination of Arnold's interaction with the other members of the Army Staff, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Combined Chiefs of Staff, Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman, Secretary of War Henry Stimson and Harry Hopkins. Daso describes a number of actions that have implications about how Arnold felt about "precision daylight bombing" but the issue is never clearly examined in its military or moral facets. It is mentioned that Arnold opposed the use of the atomic bomb, but not why. The dispute over the Lend-Lease contracts for Britain depleting stocks for the Army Air Force which landed Arnold in hot water with Roosevelt is treated so lightly as to almost constitute a whitewash.

   Daso also fails to shine where his appreciation of certain strategic issues of World War II shows through, particularly regarding the Battle of the Atlantic. From Daso's writing it would seem that this was won offhandedly and primarily by the Army Air Force and due to Arnold's inititative. This highly slanted image is far from accurate. It is also unsurprising, as Daso is a United States Air Force officer and a fighter pilot and not primarily interested in naval matters.

   His grasp of the relationship Arnold enjoyed with scientists is, however, exceptional and entirely expected given that he is also the author of "Architects of American Air Supremacy: General Hap Arnold and Dr. Theodore von Karman." Details of Arnold's dealings with academia and industry explain a great many minor mysteries in the development of aircraft as weapons and the air industry as a whole. Just one is that a relatively minor company like Bell should have been the one to produce the first U.S. jet. When one knows the project was personally handed to Larry Bell by Hap Arnold, it explains much. Also interesting is the role Arnold played in the birth of the thinktank Rand Corporation.

   Overall, this is an excellent book recommended for anyone interested in learning about who Hap Arnold was, and how the Commanding General of the Army Air Forces came to be the man he was. But it is not recommended for anyone looking to examine high command issues and interactions in World War II. A work that provides a brief synopsis of that period is an eight page entry in D. Clayton James' "A Time for Giants: The Politics of the American High Command in World War II."




3. General of the Air Force Henry "Hap" Arnold is probably the least known of the great World War II leaders. Very few people outside of the U.S. Air Force have probably every heard of him. This lack of recognition is sad, because Arnold made important contributions to the outcome of the war as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
   
   There are only two biographies of Arnold: this book and another by Thomas M. Coffey. Both are good, but Dik Alan Daso has written the better book. Daso, as a former USAF officer, has a better understanding of how the military works and offers a portrait that really develops the personality of the man. Arnold was an air pioneer--he was the second trained pilot in the U.S. Army, having learned to fly from the Wright brothers themselves--and he made enormous contributions to the outcome of the war in developing strategy and procuring supplies. This material is often less than sexy but it is of critical importance to the outcome of a conflict. Daso shows that Arnold poured himself into his job, putting in 12, 14, and 16 hour days. It is no surprise that he suffered four heart attacks during the war years and nearly destroyed his marriage.
   
   Coffey's book is thicker and fuller of more stories, but he seems primarily interested in telling a good story. Daso gives his readers a full account of his subject's life and shows how this rather simple man ended up leading, managing, and administering the millions that made up the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. Highly recommended.



4. This book is truly a great read on the history of Military Aviation in American History. Henry Arnold uniqely lived and guilded this country through the development of military aviation. His "hands on" involvement from The Wright Flyer to post WWII allow this book to share with the reader the thoughts and goals that went into the birth and growth of Military Aviation in the United States.



5. This biography of a major military figure earns high marks for describing Arnold's personality but falls short in other aspects. One example will suffice: Arnold put his professional reputation on the line with the B-29, the largest weapon program of the war, costing even more than the Manhattan Project. But it's only discussed on one page with a few other incidental references.
   
   Considering how much personal attention Arnold devoted to the 29 program, there is surprisingly little coverage of how the Superfortress was developed and deployed. Arnold pushed the program beyond its limits, committing it to combat in Asia (at the end of the world's longest supply line, with primitive bases) before either the aircraft or the crews were ready. The name of Kenneth B. Wolfe does not appear in the book: he took the 29 from Kansas to India and China but Arnold fired him after XX Bomber Command flew two missions!
   
   The author does not address another contention worth covering: Arnold's main contribution to WW II was made between 1938 and 1942. Thereafter, his hands-on management style simply could not keep up with events, and he nearly killed himself trying to do so.
   
   For a detailed look at Hap Arnold the man, this is a strong offering. But the definitive biography awaits publication.

1 comments about Grant and Lee: Victorious American and Vanquished Virginian.

1. I'd like to congratulate Mr. Bonekemper for writing 'the book that had to be written.' Grant's reputation has only very slowly recovered from the trashing it took during the decades following the Civil War. Mr. Bonekemper presents us here with the kind of analysis and statistical material that points to a very different picture than we are used to having of these two Generals. Expanding on what he has already mentioned in his other books on these two Generals, 'How Robert E. Lee Lost the Civil War' and 'A Victor Not a Butcher', Bonekemper presents us with a compelling and very readable comparison account of the two generals. The scholarship is bright and worth noting, the writing is excellent. I haven't been this pleased since my reading of Bruce Catton.

5 comments about God Saw Them Through: Semper FI - "America's Battalion" in Iraq.

1. If you are a Christian and believe in the power of prayer, you will find the factual stories in this book very inspirational. Glenn Thomas has done a marvelous job in telling the story of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put the book down.



2. There are only eighteen infantry battalions in the U.S. Marine Corp. This is the story of one of them through combat in Iraq in 2003. Commanded by Lt. Col. Royal Mortenson whose philosophy of command includes statements such as :It is fine for the Marine to be able to run three miles in eighteen minutes, but it is better to be able to run one mile in seventeen minutes carrying a wounded Marine on your back."
   
   Lt. Col. Mortenson trained his battallion, took it to Iraq, into combat and brought them all back alive. To Lt. Col. Mortenson, a hearty well done. You deserve your subsequent promotion.
   
   The author is the father of one of the young Marines that went to Iraq and back. He believes that the Christian faith of his son and of the rest of the Marines in this unit was responsible for the Lord returning all of these young men home. Who can say that he is wrong?



3. God Saw Them Through is a fascinating, inspiring, and convicting story about the answer to prayer for soldiers in warfare written by Thomas, the father of one of the marines in 2/8. Sometimes the military abbreviations overwhelm, such as one paragraph which includes the following: CO, XO, H&S Company, TAC CP (though definition is given), assistant S2, assistant S3, Main CP (definition given). Thomas gives all of the definitions at least once, but it can be confusing to those who are not familiar with military rankings and abbreviations. He also includes a helpful glossary, organizational charts, and some maps though a few more would be helpful.
   
   Regardless of the difficulties of the abbreviations, the message comes through clearly. God answered the prayers of thousands on behalf of 2/8. Thomas records how more than once individuals back home were awakened to prayer just before 2/8 was going into battle and that God laid specific requests on their hearts that He answered through their prayers. This has been one of the most inspiring books about prayer that I've read in a long time.
   
   Probably men and women with a military background will appreciate the style and content more than those of us who lack the background. This is a story that men in particular can enjoy. The first chapter bogs down a little with the introduction of the 2/8's leadership, but persevering through it pays off. Men and teenaged boys interested in the military might enjoy finding this book in their Christmas stocking.
   
   God's miraculous answers to prayer in keeping the marines safe during firefights will inspire anyone, military or not, to pray. -- Debbie W. Wilson, Christian Book Previews.com



4. Gave this book to my husband as a gift and he absolutely loved it. After reading it, here's what he had to say:
   FANSTASTIC! It should be read by all military members. A true example of God's present intervention on our behalf. We personally met Colonel Mortenson and he is a man of true character.
   
   God bless!



5. It was reassuring to discover that the leadership of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines took their responsibilities so seriously when preparing to be deployed to Iraq in 2003. Decisions were not made by an arrogant group of American military but rather by people who sought strength from a power admittedly far superior to themselves - God. Between the individual prayers of the marines themselves and prayer chains established across the country, the marines of 2/8 were shielded from any severe casualties. It defies logic that this battalion could have fared so well. After reading this book, perhaps more then once, you can decide for yourself if God really did see them through.

2 comments about The Black Prince And The Sea Devils: The Story Of Valerio Borghese And The Elite Units Of The Decima Mas.

1. Every major military in the world has it's special elite units. The British have their SAS. The Americans the SEALS, Rangers, and Special Forces. Strangely enough, this trend began with the Italian Navy. Their Decima MAS unit pioneered the concept of small, specially trained units that did damage to their enemies far beyond their size. Movie buffs will recognize their exploits as shown in the 1958 movie 'The Silent Enemy' where frogmen attack the HMS Valiant and the HMS Queen Elizabeth using specially modified torpedoes that they ride into the harbour.

   It is nice to see that the Italian military is portrayed here as something other than the bumbling fools so often shown in American films and books. This book treats the unit as they would any other unit, telling how it got started, their training, their failures and their successes. This book is also the basis for a new movie called 'The Sea Devils' although I understand that the project is now on hold.




2. Jack Greene and Alessandro Massignani's The Black Prince And The Sea Devils is the story of Prince Valerio Borghese and his infamous World War II Italian naval commando unit will intrigue any with a special interest in World War II history beyond the generalist topics and scope. Green has authored four previous military titles and Massignani brings with him a special focus on Italian naval history: the two draw upon official archival sources and veteran accounts on both sides to separate fact from fantasy.

5 comments about No Picnic on Mount Kenya: A Daring Excape, A Perilous Climb.

1. I'm a big fan of WWII prisoner of war tales, both real (The Long Walk, Ghost Soldiers, et al) and fictional (King Rat, Bridge on the River Kwai, et al), so I was intrigued by this account by an Italian of how he and two companions escaped their POW camp, climbed Mt. Kenya, and then snuck back into camp several weeks later. Unfortunately, while their adventure was undoubtedly remarkable, it never really comes alive in Benuzzi's book. I suspect much of the problem for me is that I know nothing about mountaineering and don't particularly find it interesting. The other difficulty I had was with the flatness of the prose, whether this is due to a weak translation or to Benuzzi's writing in a foreign language I don't know, but in any event, I found it rather tepid. So while I think the whole idea of his adventure is wonderful and in rather brilliant dark humor, I didn't find the telling equally so.



2. This book is a welcome change from all the peak bagging, egoistical, mountain-conquering books out there. The author talks so poetically about the beauty of the mountain , that its hard to remain unaffected. Their mission is extremely pure and simple - to climb Mt. Kenya, although some people might say that it was an irresponsible thing to do in the middle of war .... The truth is that its a fantastic description of their whole adventure, with graphic descriptions of the jungle and how they made it with POW rations and home-made climbing gear. A true mountaineering classic !



3. I really enjoyed this book. It sounds almost whimsical that POWs would go to all this trouble and face considerable personal danger to escape, climb a mountain, and then go right back to the prison camp, but the way Benuzzi describes it, it makes a certain sense. The painstaking process of preparing for the trip - which included all the risks and difficulties of a "typical" prison break plus the demands of an Alpine climb - is told in a matter-of-fact, rather dry fashion. (On nominating the third man for the party: "He had never climbed a mountain in his life. The only reason why we decided to try him was because he was universally thought to be mad as a hatter, and mad people were what we needed.") Benuzzi's descriptions of the scenes on the way up the mountain are glorious, and of the return to camp are funny and quite touching. A very enjoyable pocket-adventure story that deserves to be better known.



4. I enjoy escape stories & the first half of this book was a typical WW2 escape story. The story has humour throughout & their task - to climb Mount Kenya - was quite an undertaking. What I liked best was the author's personality / humour & seeing things from an Italian and African perspective. His descriptions of the types of people in the prison camp are awesome. Day to day camp life is well described also.
   
   I think it took great guts to attempt what they did but to me the scariest parts were sleeping in the jungle with little or no shelter & no weapons. Who know's what type of beasts they may come across? I felt the second half of the book which describes more of the climb itself was more boring. When I got into this part I was mostly looking forward to finishing the book & getting onto something else. It is unique & I don't think in all the escape books I have read anyone has ever had their main intention be to escape back into their camp. That took a little bit of the interest away for me.
   
   It is a good story & I think the author would be a very interesting person to meet but the book was just middle of the road as far as true adventure stories I have read.



5. Felice Benuzzi wound up in a Second World War POW camp close to the foot of Mount Kenya, a mountain that is higher than the highest alp in Europe. Prison camps are boring; soon Benuzzi, who went on to become an ambassador in post-war Italy's diplomatic service, was dreaming of scaling the mountain he saw beyond the barbed wire of his confines.
   
   Eventually he did break out, and with the help of two fellow prisoners and rudimentary mountain climbing equipment they had made in the prison camp, he and a fellow prisoner ascended one of Mount Kenya's peaks, where they planted an Italian flag. A great story of adventure and humanity that loses a little of its lyricism in its translation into English. Great reading for all ages.

No comments about Mussolini (Routledge Historical Biographies).

4 comments about Counterspy: Memoirs of a Counterintelligence Officer in World War II and the Cold War.

1. The tail end of the war in Europe and the subsequent delicate peace which was really the start of the cold war had to have been an interesting time. And during this time Mr. cutler was semi drafted into the OSS and assigned to counter espionage. First he was working on finding people to send into Germany and subsequently stationed in Berlin he was seeking out the remains of the German spy organization and working to counter the activities of the Soviets who were also looking for the Germans with a view of turning them into Soviet agents. It was a very interesting time with a great deal of intermixing between the Russians and the Americans, before the big breaks that were to come later.
   
   In 1946, Mr. Cutler was faced with the decision to remain with the OSS, becoming the CIA, or leave. He left to join civilian life. Still he retains his interest in intelligence matters, and in the last chapter offers some comments and advice on the CIA and it's actions regarding Watergate, the Church Committee, and 9/11. I wish he had added another chapter or two on this area, but perhaps that's another book.



2. Bravo to Richard Cutler! Counterspy is a fascinating, perceptive, extremely well written and thoroughly enjoyable memoir and history of espionage during the latter part of World War II and the early post-war period. I have read other books on the general subject - including Peter Grose's biography of Allen Dulles, Gentleman Spy, Joseph Persico's Roosevelt's Secret War, and Anthony Cave Brown's biography of Gen. William Donovan, Last Hero. Cutler's book more than holds its own - and adds much that is new. His is a high stakes adventure story - where the stakes are real, and Cutler is on the front lines. His characters are vividly drawn. He brings alive for the reader at a remove of some sixty years a certain very important place (or places), time and challenge.



3. An elegantly written, enjoyably readable book about a dangerous and often inelegant time in world history, Richard Cutler presents an inside account of the Allied intelligence systems that contributed to the defeat of Nazi Germany and to confound the ambitions of Stalin's Soviet Union in the post-war period. The author skillfully balances his account of the massive international struggle with the personal experiences and reflections of this intelligent, charming and cultured (and lucky) young man in wartime London, as well as in Wiesbaden and Berlin immediately after the death of Hitler and the German surrender. His portrayals of various individuals, ordinary men and women functioning in extraordinary circumstances, and his thoughts on the role of personal character in the context of mammoth international events are most interesting and revealing of the importance of the individual for good and for ill on all sides of this conflict. He portrays politicians and journalists of the time candidly, warts and all, and the comparisons to our own point in history are cautionary and disturbing. The author served this country and its allies well in wartime and his book serves history just as well. Those interested in the history of WWII, the Cold War, and cloak-and-dagger stories, will, of course, find this book most fascinating. But also those who are interested in travel sagas, theater, personal development and psychology will find this author's observations and reflections to be of value. It is a must-read book.



4. A well written personal memoir about intelligence operations during WWII by someone who was part of the effort to uncover German spies and plant Allied agents behind the lines. His
   conversion from fledging lawyer to intelligence officer provides
   insight into how America built its intelligence capabilities in a hurry. Cutler gives a vivid picture of the people and events
   around him in London, Wiesbaden, and later Berlin as America
   struggled to become fluent in the unseen world of espionage.
   Unlike many books about spies and spying, this is no third party report. Cutler was there, and draws the reader into the intracacies of intelligence work, theirs and ours. His keen
   observations on the people and personalties he worked with give life to the events he describes. Trying to vet operations and individuals was and still is a difficult, inexact process, especially in wartime. Trying to determine whom you could trust and and how to differentiate between reliable people and sources
   and disinformation and opportunists trying to milk the situation
   became even more complex after the German surrender as Russian
   agents were trying to turn friendly Germans into Soviet moles.
   The world of obscure shadowy people were all in play in postwar Berlin. His descriptions of the people he met and places he went in his work paint for the reader a good sense of what that portion of Europe and people were like in the postwar world.
   All this is pertinent today, as we see the need for more and better intelligence on other parts of the world. Cutler's book gives some idea of how that information is collected by
   people living in the shadows. His comments on how intelligence has been coordinated into our national plans and actions, for
   better or worse, deserve wider attention.
   A fascinating book that makes you think as you enjoy reading it. Excellent

5 comments about Another Place, Another Time: A U-boat Officer's Wartime Album.

1. One of the services with the highest casualty rate during World War II was the German U-Boat service. Of the 40,000 men who served in that branch, 28,000 were killed. Werner Hirschmann was one U-Boat officer that entered the German Navy in 1940 and served until 1945 when he and his boat surrendered to Canadian forces.
   
   This book covers several different subjects. The first few chapters deal with his joining the Navy and the training he received. Then it's to see on a destroyer, including excort duty for the Bismark when it left for the Atlantic raid. Finally he is transfered to U-Boats with more training followed by going to war. Finally came the sixth and last patrol, ending in surrender.
   
   There are two appendicies to the book. The first is a Pictorial Tour of the authors boat, the U-190 and the U-889, both type IXC long range boats. The type of submarines that were used in the patrols to North America, the Caribbean, the southern Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the Orient. This pictorial tour is well illustrated. Mr. Hirschmann was the engineering officer on the boat, so as you would expect, these pictures feature most of the technical aspects of the boat. There is even a picture of the quite rare four rotor Navy Enigma machine.
   
   The second and somewhat smaller appendix is titled Life on a U-Boat. Again, it is fairly technical in nature.
   
   This is a splendid book, especially for the technically minded



2. I am a fan of autobiographical history, especially WWII and U-boats. The authors really try to be as factual as possible.
   The book is based on recollections and diaries of Werner Hirschmann.
   It is a book that is hard to put down and really makes you feel like you are in his shoes.
   
   I have reviewd books in the past, but only review books that have made great impressions.
   It has parts that may be too techincal for some, but that doesn't take away from the story and could be enjoyed by anyone who liked the book "Iron Coffins" or the movie "Das Boot".
   
   I'm a big fan of Werner Hirschmann and am glad he let me read his diaries.
   
   Stevie



3. For the U boat buff's this is a very good read. I own over 60 books on U Boats and would rank this in the top 10. Its very different from other books since its a focus on a person not so much as the boat. I found myself living the writers life. I would say its a must read and again different from many other U Boat books.



4. An excelllent account of the war time life of a U-Boat officer,other than the commander. An interesting account of the what it took to be in the Kreigsmarine during and after the war.
   
   I found the book well written and could not put it down. I reccomend the publication to anyone with even a passing interest in U-Boats.



5. I recently received this book and have looked forward to reading at least one chapter each day. The story flows very nicely with an interesting read (by no means boring) and the multiple pictures supplement the story for visual support. The book gives an entirely different glimpse into this officer's life and what it was like for him during the war as opposed to just being at sea and searching for ships to sink, etc. I love to read about submariner's from the World War II time era and this is certainly one of my top five reads.

5 comments about "And I Was There": Pearl Harbor And Midway -- Breaking the Secrets (Bluejacket Books).

1. First and major portion of book covering Pearl Harbor is excellent. However, after Layton's death, the book was continued from his notes and descriptions of campaigns after Pearl Harbor suffer in quality by comparison.



2. Before you jump on some revisionist books about Pearl Harbor, like Stinnet's Day of Deceipt, you should get it from the horses mouth! Layton, et al, tell a little known side of the war in the pacific. His opinions of some famous naval personalities like Stark and R.K. Turner will really have you thinking about how war is run when powerful, ambitious officers are running the show. It's a shame that lives had to be wasted while the U.S. got its act together to finally win the war in the pacific, but Layton's tale will give you a new perspective and supports much of what was previously written, like Prang's "At Dawn We Slept", about the debacle of Pearl Harbor and the genius that followed at Midway. Buy it!



3. Edwin T. Layton served as Fleet Intelligence Officer for Admirals Kimmel and Nimitz. He, along with the other members of station Hypo, were assigned the task of breaking into Japan's secret codes, especially their JN-25 cypher. Through exhausting efforts by its members, they were finaly able to penetrate enough of the JN-25 code to make reasonable assumptions as to what the Japanese navy was planning. "Magic" was the term used for the intercept and decryption of these secret codes.

   However, no decoding was actually done at Pearl Harbor, because there was no "Purple" decoding machine there. All intercepts had to be sent to Washinton for decryption, and Hawaii relied on Washington for their information. Layton's thesis is that Pearl Harbor was denied vital intelligence which, if issued in a timely fashion, could have alerted Pearl Harbor to the impending attack which occurred on December 7, 1941. Although I agree with some of his thesis, I also believe that the Pearl Harbor commanders made terrible mistakes of their own which also contributed to the unpreparedness of Pearl Harbor.

   One message that Washington failed to send Pearl Harbor which I believe, along with Layton, could have alerted the fleet to the attack was the so-called "bomb plot" message. In a nutshell, this message divided Pearl Harbor into several sections and placed ships in each section; almost like laying an invisible grid over the harbor. Of all the messages that Pearl Harbor failed to receive, this was probably the most important.

   However, with this stated, I also believe that the commanders made grievous errors of their own. On November 27, 1941, a "war warning" message was sent to both commanders at Pearl Harbor. Both seemed perplexed and unsure of the course of action to be taken. Why was this? Both Admiral Kimmel and General Short were high ranking members of the military, yet they both dragged their feet when they received this message. Short simply ordered defense against sabotage instead of ordering an all-out alert, while Kimmel failed to order any further long-range patrols, plus he didn't order the battle force to sea. They seemed incapable of making any independent judgement of their own. Instead, they needed to be told directly what to do. These omissions are unforgivable.

   Inter-service rivalry also played a role in the failure. As pointed out by Layton, there was very little inter-service cooperation or sharing of messages, so most of the time, one usually didn't know what the other was doing. Further, during the Midway operation, a rivalry betwen station Hypo and the Washington-based intelligence unit nearly cost us the battle, but fortunately, Layton and commander Joe Rochefort were able to convince Nimitz that Hypo, not Washington, was correct.

   I thought this was a good book, but I disagree with Layton's assertion that Kimmel and Short were scapegoats and had no clue what was happening. Granted, there was some intelligence that was definitely denied to them, but they should have been able to interpret events on ther own, namely the war warning message. This book is a good counter-argument to other works, such as "At Dawn We Slept". The information about the battle of Midway is especially interesting, plus the story of the codebreaking activities was well-done.




4. And I was there.
   This is a great book by one who was there, Adm Layton. He was Adm Kimmels intelligence officer at Pearl Harbor.
   He shows how the incompetence of the Navy in Washington led to the surprise attack at Pearl, by the Navy, specifically adm Stark and Kelly Turner, not giving Pearl the vital information they had about Jap intentions, but refused to give Pearl. The Navy also had 2 intelligence groups fighting for the information, and control, evaluating, and dissemination of the information. This too sabotaged the intelligence efforts, and does to this day.
   Gen Marshall is also responsible for the debacle. He was reprimanded, but Roosevelt set aside the Congressional verdict on him.
   Kimmel was judged not guilty of any wrongdoing by the Navy, but found derelict by Congress, a tragic miscarriage of justice, due to lies under testimony by Stark, and Turner.

   The Redmon brothers are faulted too for ousting the most brilliant Navy intelligence officer, Rochefort, who correctly guessed the time and location of the Midway battle.

   Another tragic aftermath of Pearl, was the loss of Wake Island. Kimmel had a carrier task force sailing to resupply and relieve the garrision that was under attack by the Japs. This would have surprised the Japs and could have sunk many Jap ships, saved Wake Island, and kept open the supply lines to the Phillipines. Unfortunaely, Kimmel was relieved, and Adm Pye replaced him Pye lost his nerve and cancelled the mission.

   MacArthur is noted, as being in charge of the Phillipines, and being under orders to attack Formosa with his B17's when Pearl was attacked. He had a 9 hour warning after Pearl had been attacked, and had been told to attack. It was not until years after this book was published that the records of why Mac did nothing in the Phillipines were found. He was paid $650,000 by Pres Quezon of the Phillipines to do nothing, as he wanted to be neutral. MacArthur lost the Phillipines, a far more important strategic outpost than Pearl, as well as half the B17's we had, and 1/5 of our fighters, on the ground, just as what happened at Pearl, only 9 hours later, after he had multiple phone calls from Washington to attack the Japs.

   The battle of Guadalcanal and other Pacific battles is also gone into in some detail
   It was Nimitz, not Mac Arthur that devised the island hopping idea.
   A great book by a hero who was there.




5. As the Fleet Intellegence Officer of Admirals Kimmel and Nimitz Edwin Layton was in a unique position to see and to understand what was going on regarding the battles at Pearl Harbor and Midway. This welcome reprint to the 1985 book has to be considered one of the more definitive books of the couple of hundred on the subjects.
   
   Layton was a language officer stationed in Japan before the war to learn Japanese. He followed Japan and the Japanese developments closely. He was at Pearl before the attack and remained there throughout the war. He was on the Missouri at the Japanese surrender.
   
   There are a series of revisionist history books that propose such things as Roosevelt and Churchill conspiring to let the Japanese attack at Pears. Yes there is evidence that we had some intelligence pointing to the Japanese attack. But you have to look carefully at how much material there was, how many messages had been intercepted, how few had been translated and you come up with the basic understanding that it just hadn't been put together. A lot like the situation with 9/11, Monday morning quarterbacking is much easier than being in the midst of the game.
   
   Layton was there, he knew what Kimmel and Short knew, indeed he had briefed them with the material on hand. Could they have been better prepared, yes, Layton says, if Admiral Richmond K. Turner had forwarded the information. But like any inter-departmental power struggle, Turner held the information to himself.
   
   I was also surprised by the relatively little animosity shown towards the Redman brothers who bounced Rochefort and Safford out. Indeed Layton points out that the do it themselves style of Rochefort and Safford probably wouldn't have done a very good job of managing the Navy Radio Intelligence activities that grew to almost 8,500 people by the end of the war.
   
   All in all, a must read for anyone interested in what happened at Pearl and Midway.