3 comments about New Guinea and the Marianas: March 1944-August 1944 (History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume 8).

1. This book keeps up the tradition of other books in this fine series. This volume describes the action which took place in and around the Marianas Islands in the summer of 1944. The islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Guam were successfully captured and turned into air bases for the big B-29 Superfortresses so they could reach the Japanese homeland. These battles were fought with great savagery on both sides. For example, rather then surrender to the American forces, many Japanese soldiers and civilians threw themselves from cliffs overlooking the Pacific on Saipan.

   The Battle of the Philippine Sea is where the Japanese navy ultimately, for all intents and purposes, ceased to be an effective fighting force. However, at the beginning, it was the Japanese who sighted the Americans first. They launched four successive attacks against Admiral Spruance's carriers while Spruance was still searching for the Japanese ships. Thanks to murderous anti-aircraft fire and superior combat air patrol, the Japanese would end up losing over four hundred aircraft in what has become known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot". Three Japanese aircraft carriers were also sunk by American submarines and planes. However, this victory was greatly scrutinized. Spruance was criticized for not finding the enemy ships sooner, and for conducting poor air searches. Many believed that the victory could have been even greater than it was had the Japanese been spotted sooner, or had the Americans done a better job of pursuing the fleeing Japanese.

   This is a very good book, and the battle is explained expertly with the help of numerous maps and photographs. I highly recommend this book, as well as others in this series. They give the reader a first-hand account of the war at sea.




2. My 86 year old father served in the New Guinea campaign. Only now, in his later years, has he been interested and willing to talk about his World War II experiences. As an enlisted man with an army amphibious unit, he never knew the details of the New Guinea campaign in which he participated. This book is not a novel, but it is an extensive, detailed history of this military campaign which includes the names, photos and maps of the operating area. My father had not heard these names for over 60 years. This is a great resource for any World War II veteran who served in the Pacific in these areas.[ASIN:0252070380 History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Vol. 8: New Guinea and the Marianas, March 1944-August 1944 (History of United States Naval Operations in World War II)



3. This is the eighth of Morison's fifteen volumes on the U.S. naval operations in WWII, and the sixth of nine on the Pacific theater. This particular volume covers the clearing of New Guinea by the MacArthur branch of operations, and the subjugation and capture of the Marianas by the Nimitz arm, including the famous "Marianas Turkey Shoot" during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, which was the last time Japanese carrier based air power posed any significant obstacle to the U.S. advance toward Japan. Thereafter, the two pincers were to join at Leyte and the invasion of the Philippines, which are covered in volumes XII and XIII.
   
   By March, 1944 the great Japanese anchorage at Truk, and their naval and air bases at Rabaul had been pounded into submission by U.S. air power and were to be bypassed. MacArthur was then able to proceed along the northern New Guinea coast, subduing the Japanese forces there in a series of actions including Biak, Hollandia and Noemfoor. Although not as well known in the popular mind as the action at the Marianas, I was interested nevertheless because my uncle was in the 503rd PIR, which participated in the Hollandia and Noemfoor operations.
   
   Meanwhile, Nimitz, having secured the Gilberts and Marshalls, proceeded in force to the Marianas. There, not only was Guam, Saipan and Tinian taken from the Japanese, but their carrier air forces were dealt a fatal blow in a two day battle where Japanese planes came at the U.S. carriers one day, and U.S. planes at the Japanese carriers the next day. The order to launch U.S. planes came late on the second day and consequently many returned after dark. In a dramatic decision, Admiral Mitscher ordered the lights of the carriers turned on, even at the risk of exposure to Japanese submarines.
   
   Morison is most enthusiastic when describing amphibious landings. The lessons learned the hard way at Tarawa and improved somewhat in the Marshalls were improved upon yet again in the Marianas and Morison spares no detail in explaining the intricacies of the planning and execution of the beach assaults. Also, Morison is supportive of Spruance's decision to stay back and not uncover the Marianas instead of going full bore after the Japanese carriers.

2 comments about Japanese Castles 1540-1640 (Fortress).

1. This book provides a good overview of Japanese castles from the introduction of stone bases and walls in 1540 to the introduction of long range bombardment in 1640. The book provides information on the Japanese castle's history, layout and castle elements, daily life, operational history, and information on the castles today. There are many photos from the Turnbull's travels and excellent illustrations by Peter Dennis.

   Anyone familiar with the Osprey series books will be happy with this edition. As someone not familiar with Japanese castle history, the book gave me an excellent overview and understanding of their role. It also has a good bibliography for getting more information.

   However, there are a few shortcomings in the book. I dislike the author's tendency to jump around in the narrative. "As previously mentioned...", "As noted earlier...", "As will be explained later..." I also wish there were a good map of the castles showing locations, build dates, and other info. The author leaves this responsibility to other books.

   The illustrations are excellent, full of detail, and wonderful bird's eye and cutaway views. The battle illustrations contain many tiny tales in some of the details. The cutaway views contain many interesting vignettes. My edition of the book has one of the castle keep illustrations on the cover. My only complaint with the illustrations is that I would love to see more.

   All in all, a very good, well illustrated overview of the subject matter.




2. Japanese Castles 1540-1640
   By Stephen Turnbull
   Osprey Publishing
   
   Illustration and Images: 4 of 5 stars
   Content: 3 of 5 Stars
   
   If you are looking for a primer for Japanese Castles, then this book is great for it. But if you are looking for something more in depth, I would look elsewhere. While Mr. Turnbull does an excellent job of describing the basic set up and aspects of construction of the castle, the other sections of the book leaves much to desire. I especially found the chapter of castle life very sparse and lacking. Also he has a tendency to state interesting facts but never quite follow them up to the satisfaction of the reader. A good example of this is on page 35 when he discusses the story of a thief who ties himself to a kite to steal the gold scales of the shachi (the dolphin on top of the castle keep used to ward off misfortune) of Nagoya castle. This is further seen in the operational history section, where he seems to just ramble off facts about castles and sieges leaving the reader's appetite stimulated but not sated.
   
   On the plus side, Peter Dennis's illustration lends itself nicely to Turnbull's text as do the photographs. This is a nice aid, as sometimes I found the written description hard to imagine and the pictures help gelled an image in my mind. The only complaint I have is that description of Azuchi in the book states that the topmost room was octagonal, yet in the images of it, the top room is rectangular and the second to the top is the octagonal one. Also as a gamer, I also wish there was more maps but one can't always get everything.
   
   Please don't get me wrong, there is a lot of good information in this book about general layout of a Japanese castle and their defenses and I will probably use it as quick reference material. This though is why I consider it a primer, it left me wanting more information and curious to see if there are better books on castles (maybe ones with maps).

3 comments about Cathar Castles: Fortresses of the Albigensian Crusade 1209-1300.

1. Crusades were not all in the Middle East. These crumbling remnants of fortifications from the 1200s bespeak a time of Christian v. Christian warfare as the Catholic Church tried to stamp out the Cathar movement the establishment considered to be heretical. Today, one can visit all these places, some with short walks, others after more difficult hikes. Part of a now more than 50-volume "Fortress" series from Osprey, this combines an informed text, photos, wonderful color reconstruction (and cutaway) diagrams, data on the places today, and a short reading list. There is not a lot about these structures published in English, making this even more useful. As one who has been in many of these castles, I recommend the book to anyone traveling in the region.



2. Cathar Castles does not go into overwheming detail about the Albigensian Crusade, nor should it...it does supply a nice and very complete background however. It centers, quite sensibly on the Castle's themselves.
   
   Expert artwork by Peter Dennis breaths life into the old Southern French Fortresses, the works are clear and vivid...and magnificently detailed. A very descriptive narrative by Marcus Cowper complements the illustrations...or they complement each other, that would be more to the point. Everything is explained including a nice conclusion on visiting these Castle's today.
   
   A very nice 'fit' into Osprey's rather large collection of Castle's, Forts, Strongholds and Defenses that existed in many lands through the centuries.



3. In less then 62 pages, Macus Cowper does a fantastic job going into the details and structures of the major fortresses of the Albigensian Crusade that took up most the 13th century in southern France. The short book centered itself around the castles belonging to Cathars, a heretical movement that took hold in that part of France and subject to a major crusade to wiped it out.
   
   The book comes with a decent background to the Albigensian Crusade how the castles affected the entire campaign as they withstood the crusade before finally falling. Looking at the photos and the illustrations, it took a lot of determination by the invaders to take some of these places. The book comes superbly well illustrated with detail drawings and diagrams of some of the castles, photographs and map of their locations. The text is well written and nicely researched. The author obviously got a pretty good command of the subject and it looks like he visited the actual locations himself.
   
   The book also could serves as a nice historical travel guide as well since the author was kind enough to put in visiting hours and other such material into this book. The book come well recommended and should provide a good companiion piece to a more scholarly work on the Cathar that often come with a lot of words but little illustrations or photos.

5 comments about I Had Seen Castles.

1. How you feel about WAR isn't something you discuss often with your peers, is it? Not if you are an 8th or 9th grader? Not even if you are a high school junior, or an adult. Perhaps this review should be posted on Memorial Day 2006 to mark the last sixty years that should have been lived in Peace. "I Had Seen Castles" tells of John Dante, a boy who grew up building castles of blocks and peopled with knights . . . who became a youth fighting in the lands of castles . . . then later, he suffered alone , an aging ex-patriot who "could not stay in America because America had not suffered."
   
   In this country you can hardly have lived your entire life in "peacetime." At some time you became aware that when people write or say *war* they are referring to WW II which involved our country from 1939, even though Congress did not declare war until after the Pearl Harbor bombing December 7, 1942. Through the years you add to a list of place names that choke you: Pearl Harbor, Dresden, Nagasaki, Rwanda, Darfur, Abu Ghraib. Like the 'acid reflux' widely talked about in commercials, these names continue to eat into the national psyche.
   
   This haunting story is a radical departure from Cynthia Rylant's other titles, written primarily for children. It is a short story with untethered adolescence paired with the horrific realities of war. The author writes beautifully about the sustenance born out of Love. This is a small book to hold, handsomely designed. It will hold the uninterrupted attention of readers. It is also a book to read each year on a day set aside for remembering. Although it is a book for all generations, it seems especially appropriate for today's youth.
   
   The poet Rilke described his emotional response to war with these words: "Only pain, and what can't be said." These words seem to come from the mind and pain of survivor Dante, who was no longer eighteen but burdened forever with memories from sixty years ago. (review by mcHAIKU)



2. It is amazing that this powerful book was only 97 pages long. I read it, enthralled, in under 2 hours. Compares to the Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck for its spare lyrical prose and great characterization. Do not miss this book!



3. When John is seventeen and living in Pittsburgh, the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. He, like almost everyone else living in the United States at that time, is caught up in the hype of the war. Many of his classmates are joining the military as soon as possible, and John is anxious to get in line with them so he doesn't have to think of himself as a coward. His older sister is busy entertaining young men who are desperate for female company before they go away, possibly never to return again. John's father is a scientist and has gone off to California to work on new military technology, and John's mother is working in a factory making weapons.
   
   Shortly before he plans on joining the army, John meets Ginny. She is a beautiful Irish girl who has moved with her family to Pittsburgh to take advantage of the abundance of jobs in the city. Ginny is the most amazing girl John has ever met, and the two of them are almost immediately inseparable. The big problem is that Ginny is completely against war and she hates the idea of John enlisting. He can't make her understand why joining is so important to him, and she can't make him understand why he is so against this war.
   
   I liked the personal story of how one person dealt with World War II. I also liked that things didn't work out perfectly for John after the war; his romanticized idea of how things would be was completely incorrect.
   
   I would have liked to have found out more what John's life was like after the war. There was a lot of time that was skipped in the book; most of the focus was on the time just before John went to war.



4. I thought that it was a good book. IT had an ok ending and it said that it was realy good and had lot of good parts in it is a 5 star book. If you like war books you will like this book because it is action pact with war. The ending was not the best and the start is slow.I have read the best war books and the worst war books and this one is good. It is for anyone to read and its for kids and that means no bad words. I like it because I love war books and I will always like war books and I am not that good at reading. It was a fun to read and I hope you like it to.



5. This is not meant to be a book of suspense. From the very beginning we know that the narrator is telling us the story of his experiences during World War II from many years since that time. We need not even have any suspense about the fate of his relationship with the girl he left behind, as it's reasonably clear that he's alone when he tells us the story.
   
   Rather, this is a story of what happened to one boy when the U.S. entered WWII. Told with incredible detail, Rylant puts us inside the head of a seventeen-year-old boy who can think of nothing else but joining the army and doing his patriotic duty. Until he meets Ginny, who challenges all of his beliefs about war and patriotism. Looking back on it, he is able to recognize her extreme courage in speaking out against war and encouraging him to register as a conscientious objector, but at the time, all he could see was all the other boys going off to war, even though he knew that all too many of them were not coming home.
   
   He joins up as soon as he is able and is shipped off to the European front. His patriotic ideals last for a while, but soon he admits that he is killing the enemy only to stay alive himself. Ginny's letters ring too true to bear, and eventually he stops writing back to her. When he returns from the war, she and her family have moved away, and he is never able to find her again.
   
   This is also not a book of regret, although clearly the narrator regrets in some way the loss of Ginny, and the loss of his own innocence when he went away to war. But this is a book of truth. Rylant doesn't sugarcoat the nature of war or the effect it has on those who must fight it, both on the battlefield and at home.

4 comments about Castles, Battles, and Bombs: How Economics Explains Military History.

1. This pioneering work is not a military history narrative, though much of it there is, but the application of economic principles and theory to select socio-military developments in history, seeking to demonstrate the clarity of analysis the rigor of such application can bring to a field which seems to have hitherto lacked much formal structure. The famed WWI Schlieffen Plan (there's controversy about the extent to which the Germans actually implemented it fully, but the authors take it as given) provides the springboard for a discussion of opportunity costs (the real cost of X is the Y you are giving up by doing X) as applied to the strategic and operational choices in WWI to which are added the assymetries in information between combatants. The authors use the Schlieffen Plan analysis to introduce their methodology, a good and clear starting point because there is an actual war-making plan involved. Having thus established a an analytical template, they go back in history to medieval times and move forward with particularly interesting sections on the American Civil War, the strategic bombing campaign of Germany during WWII, France's decision to develop nuclear weapons, and, of contemporary interest but not really based on contemporary choices, the long history of "condottieri" (private contractors) to wage war ("provide security"). Afghanistan and Iraq are not covered as those theatres are still active, so it is premature to draw conclusions.
   
   One learned in school that an objective of theory is to reduce variables to a meaningful few. This work is positing a template for military historiography (though, not an exclusive one). In the process, the authors are truly compelling in their advocacy of looking at war with the tools of economic analysis, for a simpler, keener understanding of the meaningful forces at work. Human suffering is indeed part of the calculus, as the section on WWII strategic bombing of Germany shows that, ironically, rather than demoralize the German volk into submission, all evidence points to it having stiffened resistance. Thus indeed what was intended as a strategic campaign in effect became a tactical one.
   
   There is an introductory chapter on Economics explaining the concepts used. Each chapter has clear, useful matrices and charts througout the work summarizing the analysis applied. Readers unaquainted with Economics as a discipline ought not to be intimidated as the book is written for the general reader. And it is an engrossing read if history is an area of interest to you.
   
   Unfortunately, whatever aggressive tendencies seem germane to humankind have had their most effective expression in waging war. It seems to be a lasting condition, however rationalized or just the cause. The analytical tools Messrs. Brauer and van Tuyll advocate increase our understanding of a regrettable but very real and probably permanent aspect of our existence. It may be opportune to also recommend Chris Hedges' "War is a Force That Gives us Meaning."



2. I had read a favorable review of this book in a publication I trust and ordered this book based upon that review. Military history is one of my spheres of interest and knowledge. I was quite disappointed. The author's theory is stretched to fit the topic.
   
   
   
   



3. This is a well written economic analysis of various historical developments and events regarding warfare.
   
   My only criticism is that more depth was given to the history than to the economics...if you have already taken several courses of economics, you barely need to glance at the beginning chapter which delineates the basic principles of modern economics. Granted, the author is writing for a general audience, but I still thought that the historical content outweighed the economic analysis.



4. This book probably will not satisfy readers primarily interested in economic theory, or readers primarily interested in military history. But, if you want to look at military history from a different perspective, or if you are interested in how economic theory could be used to examine and evaluate a complex phenomenon (such as warfare), then this book is very much worth reading. The cross-disciplinary approach taken by the authors is a welcome change of pace, with an analysis that is different from the usual approaches taken in books about economics or books about military history.
   
   The first chapter discusses six economic principles that provide the analytical framework for the seven other chapters in the book: Opportunity Cost; Expected Marginal Costs and Benefits; Substitution; Diminishing Marginal Returns; Asymmetric Information and Hidden Characteristics; and Hidden Actions and Incentive Alignments. Although the authors use the six principles to look at various facets of military history, a reader should consider whether the principles could also be used to provide a different perspective on other subject areas, such as educational institutions, the legal system, and organizational decisions.
   
   Even if a reader is not ultimately persuaded by the thoughtful arguments made in this book, a reader can benefit from reading those arguments and thinking about them. Although I did not find some of the arguments made in the book to be persuasive, I found the book, overall, to be well worth reading.

5 comments about Undercover Tales of World War II.

1. These stories tell about men and women who acted SO bravely in the midst of intense danger. I especially liked the ones about members of the French Resistance, who risked (and sometimes lost) their lives to help the Allies. I feel forever grateful to those brave and clever people who defied Nazi brutality.



2. Anything kept from common public knowledge is considered to be'undercover,' not just espionage. Soviet ruler Joseph Stalin harbored a deep fear of flying, but hid this phobia behind a facade of air enthusiasm. He flew only once, to attend the 1943 conference in Tehran with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U. S. President Franklin Roosevelt. His unspoken 'no-fly' policy shaped the character of wartime diplomacy in suble ways, to the frustation of Churchill and inconvenience of Roosevelt, who had his own unspoken secret of being paralyzed and using a wheelchair. When he was photographed for the American public, he is shown propped up or sitting like a normal man. These Big Three Allied leaders made decisions which affected the whole world and the outcome of the war, even with their secrets.
   
   On the eve of World War II, the Soviet Union boasted a force of 10,000 aircraft. French pilots endured the unique experience of fighting both for and against the Allies during WWII. Following the capitulation of France at the end of June 1940, many of the pilots continued to fly with the Vicky French squadrons out of North Africa. Others called "the French Pilots" were a small band of fifteen volunteers who, since early 1943, had been flying and dying in Russia's defense. Only six of the original returned home to France after the war. A second contingent was sent to be trained by the first volunteers; of the ninety-six pilots who went to Russia, forty-six were killed. The survivors were in a Normandie-Niemen regiment and many achieved ace status flying Yak fighters on the Eastern Front.
   
   It was a decision of General Charles de Gaulle himself, and some of his staff detested the idea of French pilots flying for the Soviet Union. The exiled Brigadier de Gaulle had ambitions and returned to liberated Paris in August 1944 to celebrate Germany's May 9 surrender. Late in the war, French POWs derided the pilots as Communists.
   
   When Normandy was invaded by the Allies, they discovered a group of Koreans who had been forced to fight for the Japanese army until they were captured by the Russians, then forced to fight for the Russian army until they were captured by Germany; then forced to fight for the Germans until they were liberated by the U.S. Army. They were no volunteers.
   
   William B. Breuer, a fellow Tennessean, has written a plethora of military and political histories including MAC ARTHUR'S UNDERCOVER WAR, TOP SECRETS TALES OF WORLD WAR II, SHADOW WARRIORS, FEUDING ALLIES, and CASTRO AND THE KENNEDY BROTHERS.



3. If you enjoy reading Military History,you've probably already come across some of these stories.If you have read a great amount,maybe you alredy know about a lot of them;but it is still probale that many of these stories will be of events you haven't heard about before.
   What is covered in this book,required a great deal of knowledge,experience and research.
   70 separate and unconnected stories give a taste of the secret things that took place during the war and the impact they had on events around them.You will see how events of spying,trickery,deception,intelligence gathering and other forms of espionage, play just as an important part in winning or losing a war, as do the events that take place on the battlefield.Most of these things don't become known at the time they are happening, for the simple reason that disclosure lets the enemy know your methods and operations.Even when secret information is revealed,it is denied to protect people and methods.
   Since there are 70 instances covered in 225 pages;on average this means only about 3 pages per story. Obviously,what you get here is a short summary,just to briefly tell what happened.However;the author has provided 9 pages of detailed information on these stories.That, basically makes this book a great resource to introduce the cases and gives information as to where to find out much more.
   As you read these stories,you should keep in mind that most of this took place 60 to 70 years ago when techniques and expertise were extremely simple compared to what is available today.Just imagine the possibilities with the equipment,communications and electronic abilities (much known and probably much still secret) that is at the disposal of those now engaged in this sort of thing today.
   With The War on Terror,we don't hear too much about deception and espionage these days;you can bet your sweet biffy that there is a ton of survelliance and intelligence gathering going on.So, it looks like they don't know where bin Laden is. Wanna bet someone doesn,t know? I wouldn't be surprised,they not only know where he is;but what he had for breakfast,who he talked to today,what time he got up,and even how and when he trims his beard.Even if all that is known,it would not be told;in fact,it would be denied.
   Maybe, 20 ,or even more years, will go by before the espionage that is undoubtly in full swing today,will ever become known.
   I was born in 1935 ,and hence ,just a young gaffer during WWII.I can remember being told in school and other places to keep an eye open for anyone strange in town,anyone talking strange languages,asking strange questions,and such.If you saw anything, or heard anything, suspicious,report it to your parents,teachers or the police.I was living in Nova Scotia at the time.Halifax was a major port of embarkation for huge convoys leaving for Europe,and the east coast was crawling with spies and informants passing vital information to the enemy. Not only that;but many were apprehended.We all "knew" and cared ,even the kids,who the enemy was. That was before the days of political correctness,taboos on profiling,ultrasensitivity over civil rights.Heck,everyone knew ,and more importantly acted as if they believed their freedoms,safety and even lives depended on defeating the enemy.It was especially brought home to many who had relatives in the Armed Forces.Many knew people who had lost their lives.I had an uncle who died in Italy,a cousin that survived a torpedo attack on the way to Britain and even a next door neighbour who was killed when the unarmed car ferry,"Cariboo",was torpedoed and sunk by a Nazi Submarine off Newfoundland.
   Reading this book ,one has only to be amazed at the virtually complete lack of concern the populance has about the conflict that is going on all around us today.It seems as if ,that by not thinking about it,or at best laying the blame on the US,that it will just go away.
   That was what a lot of people in Europe believed ;and lived to regret it!
   A great book about what happened during WWII,but more importantly;should awaken us on The War on Terror.



4. Good book. Almost every story would make a good WWII movie. His other books are even better.



5. This book is full of great little vignettes about lesser known occurances of World War II. These are stories nobody could make up, but they really happened!!

5 comments about Castles: Their Construction and History (Dover Books on Architecture).

1. As an Army Officer the study of military history is a professional necessity. The book: Castles their Construction and History has proven to be an incredible aid to this end. I am stationed in Europe and use the book as a guide when I travel and explore the castles in Germany, France and Italy. The book is very technical, it wastes some space giving detailed step by step descriptions of many castles but the casual reader of history will find the drawings, photos and overviews of history very interesting. The text of the book is rather dull to the non-history buff. It was very useful as a reference book while at the University of Florida.



2. I bought this book because, well to put it plainly, I have always wanted to design a castle of my own. Having no real talent for architecture, I thought I'd see how others had done it before, and why they made the decisions they did. This book does a lot for the novice who wants to learn these things, but does so with enough illustrations to keep the readers interest through the text. I can see why another reviewer said it would make a good textbook -- it reads like one, and provides quite the education!

   Add it to a military history collection, a chivalric texts collection, or to your Lego room for the next time you want a more powerful castle than the kit suggests (but, putting little lego men heads on pikes at the gates may be going overboard).




3. There is no fluff and no romanticizing. This book is just plain hows and whys on castle construction and their evolution from wooden stockades to stone fortresses. It examines the changes in defenses as warfare evolved. It is dry reading, but this is bare bones information with no fantasizing....just what I wanted.



4. This book was written in the 1930's but it is indeed a timeless record of castles from BC to the age of fortifications. I first thought that this was too old of a book but after reading it, it is clearly a great castle book. The real treasure is that it was compiled before Hitler bombed the crap out of Europe. It is chronilogical. It is referenced perfectly. The illustrations include floor plans with scales and north arrows. Building sections keyed to the floor plans. Renderings and photographs keyed to the text. Sidney takes you thru all the different building types and features that make a castle. My favorite is the "Keep". The text is very easy to follow. I was amazed at Sidney's gift of describing without the aid of photographs and drawings castle configurations. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a book that gets to the core of the subject of castles.



5. This is unfortunately another book on castles which spends more time describing details rather than explaining or synthesizing. I am looking for a book which shows how castle building evolved, and which makes use of illustrations - not prose - to describe the details. I would say the text in this book can be cut by 80% if well constructed diagrams replace the lengthy descriptions. The remaining 20% would constitute the interesting part of this book. Not that it would be sufficient to understand the history.
   
   Can anyone write something like that? Although this one is better than others, none comes close to be an interesting study. Maybe a single author can't cut it, and both an architect and a historian need to be involved.

4 comments about Schools and Masters of Fencing: From the Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century.

1. This is a very readable and enjoyable history of the evolution of the various "schools"(or philosophies)of self defence with the sword, expressed with a detailed look at their main proponents, the salon masters of years ago.

   Castle's personal sketches of the masters are enlightening and full of anecdotal material. The accompanying illustrations are mostly reproductions of period wookcuts which are invaluable in themselves.

   However, the poorly reproduced photographic addenda reveal that Castle was as much as a century off in his ability to identify and date sword types. This of course was not the purpose of his work.

   Even given this small flaw, I wholeheartedly recommend this for the fencer or martial artist of any level who is interested in the roots of the art. We are fortunate that Mr Castle provided us with such a good, solid history.




2. A REVIEW BY NICK EVANGELISTA:

   This book is a must for all fencers. It is a font of fencing knowledge, and although much criticized by members of the modern historical fencing movement, it is nevertheless a valuable resource.

   As the author of "The Art and Science of Fencing," "The Inner Game of Fencing," and "The Encyclopedia of the Sword," and the editor/publisher of FENCERS QUARTERLY MAGAZINE, I recommend this book highly.




3. Although this history of fencing is over a century old, and some of its conclusions are deeply flawed, it is still the most complete and accurate book on the subject. Castle's dismissal of early works on swordsmanship as "The rough untutored fighting of the Middle Ages" is unfortunate. I defy anyone to examine Sigmund Ringeck's Fechtbuch (as translated and interpreted by Christian Tobler in Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship) or the anonymous Manuscript I.33 from 1300 (translated by Jeff Forgeng in The Medieval Art of Swordsmanship and analysed by myself and Paul Wagner in Medieval Sword and Shield)and conclude that medieval fencing lacked system and sophistication.
   
   Also unfortunate is Castle's evident belief that the history of fencing is a process of steady improvement to the perfection of fencing in his day. It was a good thing for Castle and his contemporaries that they never had to face the trained killers of the middle ages and see their "rough untutored" fighting for themselves.
   
   But, quaint 19th century notions of superiority aside, in his description of the fencing masters of the 16th-18th centuries, Castle is unsurpassed. He possessed the rare ability to separate observation from opinion. So, while his opinions may be...interesting, his observations, unsullied by opinion are for the most part accurate. He examined about a hundred different fencing masters and their systems in analyses that are sometimes deep and sometimes quite superficial.
   
   Other authors have attempted to write histories of fencing, but none have managed to separate their observations of the old masters from their personal opinions. Hence none are as useful as Castle. As old and as dated as this work is, it still deserves a place on the shelf of anyone interested in the history of swordsmanship.
   
   Stephen Hand
   Author, Spada, Spada II,
   Medieval Sword and Shield



4. Egerton Castle lays out a roadmap of European swords, schools and masters of the sword, and fencing texts from the middle ages to the early 1800s. Despite an original publication date of 1885, this is the best overview of the subjects covered. It is generally laid out in chronological order, with a few detours to follow specific schools of fencing, but flows well and logically. Castle describes the last days of armor and twohanded swords, and as gunpowder made medieval armor obsolete, he progresses through the development of the rapier and smallsword.
   
   I found the sections on Spanish and English schools of thought most useful, as these are most removed from modern sport fencing, and least accesible through modern authors (who have been heavily influenced by Asian, Pacific Islander, and other edged weapons arts, and their own theories). For example, Ramon Martinez is absolutely brilliant at explaining the Spanish school of fencing as he interpretes it, but he tends to gloss over shortcomings of Spanish Fencing, or John Clements, whose books make reference to parrying with the flat of the sword rather than the edge, which is without practical or historical basis.
   
   Castle's vignettes of personalities and events of fencing history add a charming 'gossipy' air to the work that make it very readable, when it easily could have devolved into an arid scholarly listing of unadorned facts and dates. The discussion of Domenico Angelo in England was a delightful snapshot of life among the upper class of England in that period.
   
   In a word, brilliant. "Schools and Masters of Fencing" does not claim to be a text on the management of l'arme blanche, but an overview of the history of the weapon. But with this disclaimer, Castle procedes to offer insights into the techniques and evolution of techniques that have become modern sport fencing. Although Castle does not dwell on it, this work offers great insight into the interrelationship of armor, muscle powered weapons, and firearms. The book neatly frames out the golden age of edged and pointed weapons from the time when the obsolescence of armor in the face of firearms made way for the most subtle and refined swordsmanship to the point where reliable repeating handguns made the sword a relic of a more refined but less democratic era.
   
   Absolutly top shelf; a 'must read' for a serious classical fencer or student of the history of arms.
   
   E. M. Van Court

5 comments about Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea.

1. The naval companion to The Guns of August.
   
   Massey's Castles of Steel is a concise history of the First World War at sea focusing on the Dreadnaught showdown between the British and German Empires as well as some peripheral topics such as the Dardanelle Campaign, and the German U-Boat blockade.
   
   The book follows a dynamic narrative style that is remarkably easy to follow though at time the chronology is a bit hard to follow as the author has, for readability sake, chosen to follow specific people or units at times rather than adhering to a strict chronological format. Massey's training as a journalist is evident in the style and flow of the work. It is also a time period with which he is very familiar as his previous books have focused on the Russian Revolution.
   
   The historical sources used are many and reliable. When there are differences in his sources he generally reconciles them very well. He also uses a significant number of primary sources rather than relying on other author's work. However, he does make appropriate nods to previous historians especially when he adopts their theories or explainations. Most notably he references John Keegan often.
   
   I found the book to be a wonderful introduction to WWI at sea. I consider this book to be the naval companion to Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August and think that any one seeking a basic yet comprehensive understanding of World War One could do far worse than reading these two books. As such I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Naval history or WWI.



2. If any lesson emerges from the naval war of 1914-1918 it's that the best laid plans can and do go awry. Add to that the comparatively new weapons of this period and virtually anything was bound to happen. Massie is a skilled master at showing the whole picture along with fascinating details, ranging from Britain's early, desperate attempts to deal with U-boat warfare (even attempting to train seagulls to defecate on periscopes) to the amazing breaking of the German naval code. All in all, an exciting description of man's devastating success in destroying others of his own kind.



3. I don't think I have much to add to what's been said before, other than to simply iterate alongside many other people my enjoyment of this book.
   
   I felt that this book, alongside Dreadnought (same author), gave a wonderful historical view of events that surrounded and led up to WW! (though pre-WW1 discussion is predominately found in Dreadnought, not this book).
   
   I relished the discussion of the different personalities involved. And found the apparent lack of naval battles following the arms race quite ironic!
   
   Great reading, and highly recommended!



4. Trenches are undoubtedly the image that comes to mind when one thinks of World War I. But after reading Castles of Steel, one will also have to imagine massive 15-inch guns firing at ships 10 miles away and moving at 25 knots. I was happy to discover that the naval history of the Great War is quite interesting. This book brought it all to life.
   
   In COS, Massie provides the most readable historical account I've encountered. I believe other reviewers have pointed out, and I agree with them, that this readability does not come at the expense of historical rigor, either. I now have a far better understanding of how the Royal Navy defined the British Empire and how the Kaiser's High Sea's fleet threatened that order.
   
   I hoped, too, that this book would give a decent overview of World War I generally; as it was the first really in-depth book I've read on the Great War. It turned out to be a good but not great introduction, at least insofar as introductions typically offer breadth instead of depth. I hardly consider this a fault; the book was not intended to be broad. Nevertheless, I'll point out to someone with similar hopes that there is almost no discussion of armies in France or Germany other than political references to the stalemate. There is decent discussion of who was allied with whom and why, as well as who was trying to remain neutral. There was a surprising amount of ground-battle discussion as it related to Gallipoli, since that Mediterranean campaign was so intertwined with naval action. And finally, it was quite strong in its discussion of how America was drawn into the war. In that particular regard, I doubt a better introduction could be found (at least if Massie's thesis, that it was mainly a maritime matter, holds up.)
   
   But simply as naval story, the book was superb. The institutions that once were Royal Navy and Imperial Navy hold my elevated respect. It is easy, through Massie, to conjure up images of men being men, shoveling coal like beasts in an inferno, pushing ships 2, 3, 4 knots past their rated maximum. It is easy to picture those same men full of honor, giving three cheers for their admiral and for the King as they steam into epic battles against hundreds of ships.
   
   And yet, COS is far from a fairy tail. The old ways of war begin to crumble; monarchies defer to cabinets, sailors that had been gentlemen begin murdering, respect for one's enemy quickly gives way to hatred. Before the war, the Royal Navy and Imperial Navy held friendly competitions, by the end of the war, starvation blockade and unrestricted submarine warfare had taken hold.
   
   So, through the lens of naval history, we see the full transformation from gentlemen's war to the horrors of modern, democratic warfare. And at the center of this transformation is Winston Churchill, whose bungled years at the Admiralty are marked by overzealousness, close-mindedness, and overall incompetence.
   
   Ultimately, COS, though not intended to be an introduction to WW I, and certainly lacking introductory breadth, is nevertheless a unique place to start one's learning about the Great War. For whatever it lacks in breadth, it is certainly a deep recounting of the naval history, and I suspect in that depth one will find all the important human themes of the Great War which make it such a pivotal moment in time.



5. I bought this book and it sat on my shelf unread for years. It's a big book, over 750 dense pages. Even after I read (and loved) the prequel, Dreadnought, it still took me a long time to muster up the energy to tackle this. Probably I'm lazier than average. But once I did pick it up, I was awfully glad I did. Castles of Steel is a completely satisfying book -- first-rate writing, an engaging story, compelling battle scenes, balanced and fair coverage and judgments, helpful photos and maps. A year or two after reading it, the men and the ships at the center of the story are still vividly in my mind. Like many reading this, I've read dozens of books on naval history, and this easily ranks up with the best of them. Highly recommended.

2 comments about American Women And World War II (History of Women in America).

1. A great book on what really happened in WWII. These women lost lives and loves as they fought the Axis and supported our forces. It is well written and chock full of facts.



2. I think this book was as well written as American-Made: The Enduring Legacy of the WPA: When FDR Put the Nation to Work by Nick Taylor. That says a mouthfull. Real page turner.