5 comments about The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels.

1. I couldn't resist buying this set. I originally read the series using the local library. At the time I looked for a comlete set and it would have cost over $400. This was a bargain in comparison. Each volume contains 4 novels. It is very convenient. As usual, the shipping was quick and the books were what I expected.



2. Long a fan of Patrick O'Brian, the tone of some of the reviews were very off putting in terms of purchasing this hardcover set.
   
   In the end I bought it because to buy the complete works piecemeal was so much more expensive.
   
   To anyone else contemplating the purchase, can I relate that I am entirely happy with the set.
   
   Yes, it has typesetting issues that appear at intervals; for instance 'carne' as opposed to 'came', or 'prig' instead of 'Brig', and various others of this ilk.
   
   It does seem as if the volumes have been digitised from print and that in some instances like this, the master copy page was not laid flat on the scanner.
   
   In addition the dialogue, which in O'Brians style he relies on context to resolve, is sometimes run together in one paragraph, as follows:
   'Keating does not take it so philosophically.' 'Keating has not not just heard he has a son...'
   The first statement is by Maturin and the latter by Aubrey.
   
   On the basis of having completed the first volume of three books my opinion is that these issues are minor, and certainly have not detracted from my enjoyment of the works.



3. I don't know if maybe they fixed the problems expressed in earlier reviews or they have been overstated, but I really don't find that many problems with the text in this collection. There is than enough period language, foreign phases and sailing jargon to keep my fully occupied. The errors I have seen are easily overlooked and easily figured out by their context. The only other choice you have anyway is to buy all 21 books individually. I have done that before with other collections and I am just very glad I don't have to do that with this collection.



4. While the books of Patrick O'Brian are fantastic reads, this collections suffers greatly from several shortcomings.
   1) They are simply poor quality. The paper is very thin and for hardcover volumes the boards are thin and flimsy. I expect these were cost-cutting measures by the publisher, but I still expect more for the purchase price.
   2) There are too many type setting/copy editing/printing errors. While it is difficult to produce a single book without any printing errors, never mind 20 books, I find this collection to be extremely poorly copy edited/printed. In any given book there are usually upwards of 30 errors, and the number tends to increase as you work through the series. These usually take the form of gross misspellings or incorrect punctuation. While 30 some odd errors over 200-300 pages may not seem like much, I find it excessive and these certainly detract from the enjoyment of what are great stories.
   So I find this collection to be poorly edited and produced.



5. Having seen the movie 'Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World', I'd always remembered the lesser-of-two-weevils pun. Being a fan of silly wordplay, and looking for a new (and hopefully interesting) series of novels, eventually I decided to look into Patrick O'Brian.
   
   Yes, it's true - introduced to the author by a movie, never having read a single book, I calculated the price and the space involved and decided to spring for the complete series. Now, weeks later and having read every book, I am extraordinarily pleased to have made the purchase.
   
   It's obvious these editions were derived from scanned copies, and typos are more common than is typical. But the size and sturdiness of the books, the typeface and the quality of the paper, and, most importantly, having all 20-and-a-bit of the novels right to hand and accessible is simply wonderful. I have never enjoyed a series of novels more; nor have I been brought so very low by turning a final page and realizing there would be no more of Aubrey or Maturin - or Killick or Awkward Davies or Sophie or Brigid or any of the dozens of other enchanting, exasperating characters that populate these stories.
   
   The value of this compendium far outweighs the minor faults of its production. I'll be rereading this series again (and more than once, I'm sure), and I know these books will hold up to my avid attentions.

5 comments about USN Cruiser vs IJN Cruiser: Guadacanal 1942 (Duel).

1. 
   While Osprey titles can be very hit and miss, Mark Stille has provided yet another great well written and to the point book within the breif format that Osprey provide.
   
   Well work the small price.



2. This book is fascinating. Its as much a Navy Cruiser guide as it is a campaign book of naval action near Guadalcanal in the last half of 1942. The author provides a history of the design, development and technical specifications for the different classes of cruisers for both the US and Japanese Navies. Many good photos of the different classes of ships provide an excellent visual reference guide. The similarities and differences of the two navies in regards to construction and doctrine are highlighted.
   
   A history of the Naval Treaty Agreements, post WWI, between the US, England and Japan is given. Japan saw these treaties as unfair and discriminatory and pulled out in the 1930s to go their own way. This feeling of abuse to the Japanese by the other two participants is an early cause that would be added to other reasons why Japan became hostile to the US.
   The author also sets the Southwest Pacific stage for 1942 by covering the key events since Pearl Harbor as well as noting the importance this region had for both countries. In addition to this history, Mr Stille also points out the waning importance of cruisers, especially after 1942, and the growing importance of air power and the growing dominance of the carrier fleet.
   
   The main battle coverage concerns two engagements: The Battle of Savo Island which occurred just two days after the Guadalcanal landings in which the Allies suffered heavy casualties to the better prepared, better night trained Japanese. Despite having radar, the Japanese task force of 8 ships and led by Vice Adm Mikawa was able to ambush the US cruiser patrol off Savo Island. The other battle is the Battle of Cape Esperance which the US did better and was able to sink the cruiser Furutaka and a destroyer as well as damaging others. This occurred in the early hours of Oct 12th. Included in these battles is a listing of all ships as well as the outcome of battle action for each ship.The summary is good but can't compare to full length books on these battles. If your main concern is the battle action in this area then you may want to read books by Richard Frank, Eric Hammel which have greater detail.
   Maps are provided to show courses taken during the fighting. The losses suffered in these battles will spur Nimitz to have his fleets better trained and prepared.
   There are bios of two key commanders: Rear Adm Scott and Vice Adm Mikawa. Both admirals had distinguished careers going into the war. Adm Scott lost his life while on the Atlanta during battle on Nov13th. Adm Mikawa survived the war but fell out of favor in 1943 and especially after Leyte Gulf. The lives of several other key people could have been described but room was limited.
   
   Mr Stille, a 30 year veteran closes with Analysis and Aftermath. In Analysis, the overall cost of these battles are mentioned as well as the performance of the two combatants. The differences in battle techniques and weaponry are highlighted as well war doctrine. In Aftermath, the other navy battles near the Solomons are covered. A Chronology is also provided that includes a time frame beginning in 1922 and stretches to the close of the war which will help the reader visualize the sequence of the events. In the period before the war, the author provides key dates for Treaty Agreements and the introduction of new classes of cruisers and the completion of some of the vessels that will play a role in the upcoming battles.
   This book would be an ideal companion to the author's new book: "The Coral Sea 1942" giving the reader most of the action that occurred in 1942 in Southwest Pacific. It was quite a learning experience for me. If you need a reference book on cruisers or want a decent summary of cruiser action in 1942 then this book is a good choice.



3. I wanted to know why the IJN cruisers were so much more effective the night battles of Guadalcanal This is an overview of USN and IJN cruisrs in the context of Guadalcanal. It doesn't explain the American and Japanese approaches to cruiser design or cruiser employment.



4. I had previously purchased US Carriers vs. IJN Carriers & P-47 Thunderbolt vs. BF 109G/K. Both of those books are very good and USN Cruisers vs. IJN Cruisers is also. These books do not have some of the very low level detail found elsewhere but they are very well written, informative, and contain some interesting facts. The illustrations and photographs are also very good with some examples being rarely or never before seen (by me at least). One small knock is that this book does contain some minor editing errors.



5. This volume, slender as it is, is one more in the "Duel" series. Here, the focus is on Guadalcanal in 1942. The American troops have landed; they have warships nearby, to help protect them against a Japanese counteroffensive.
   
   This book describes the naval conflicts that ensued, as the Imperial Japanese Navy advanced to attack the American fleet. The battles that took place focused on cruisers. Battleships and aircraft carriers were not major participants here. This was one of the few surface battles where ship-to-ship firepower was key.
   
   The book begins with a chronology and a listing of key leaders for both sides. A chronology on Pages 8-9 provides some context on the development of cruiser forces after World War I. Following is a discussion of the various classes of cruisers developed by Japan and the United States. In addition, the doctrines of the two sides are addressed. One interesting difference: the Japanese relied much more on torpedo use by their cruisers. Another? Japanese were more inclined to carry out night battles.
   
   Technical specifications for the various types of cruisers are provided, as is a discussion of the operational key leaders of the two fleets. Their differences are a part of the larger story. . . . Then, the specific battles themselves--Savo Island and Cape Esperance.
   
   A short book, not long on detail. But a good introduction to the conflict at sea during the battle for Guadalcanal.

3 comments about US Destroyers 1934-45: Pre-war classes (New Vanguard).

1. The Osprey format-- many illustrations on 48 pages of text--doesn't give an author much range to roam "US Destroyers 1934-45: Pre-war classes" is remarkable in that it distills so much useful, even hard to find information into this format. An author can only do this when he knows his subject very well which Dave McComb clearly does.
   
   McComb gives a succinct overview of the design and development philosophy and goals for these classes and then takes the reader on a class-by-class overview. Talking about the Dunlap, Bagley and Gridley classes, for example, we learn that these ships were built in haste to provide employment during the depression. They did not improve upon the preceding class because, with "20,000 engineering drawing already in use, Gibbs & Cox had neither the time nor the benefit of experience at sea on which to base any redesign." The book includes sections on modifications, new technologies like radar, and an extensive discussion of the operations and actions of these classes. About Vella Gulf, "Moosbrugger's division launched 24 torpedoes and turned away. `After what seemed like an eternity,' he wrote in his action report, the first three [Japanese destroyers] exploded and Simpson's division finished them off. Alert Shigure fired a return torpedo spread at Moosbrugger, which missed, took a dud hit in the rudder, make smoke, and escaped." This is a tight narrative that gives the reader the essence of the action and its results without wasting a precious word.
   
   My favorite parts of the book are the many tables that give specifications, organization, modifications, hull numbers, awards and losses. I suspect, most readers would vote for the illustrations, however. The paintings are beautiful and the photographs give a good overview of the ships, the men, details and operations.
   
   I recommend this book highly.



2. Although the operations of the U.S. Navy's aircraft carriers and submarines in the Second World War have attracted great attention over the years, it was the ubiquitous destroyers that actually provided the backbone of the fleet when their were few carriers available and the submarines were plagued by faulty torpedoes. In Osprey's US Destroyers 1934-45, destroyer specialist David McComb provides a wealth of information on the U.S. destroyer classes built between 1932-1942. These pre-war destroyers, comprising 169 ships in 11 classes, are not as well known as the war-time Fletcher-class, but these are the destroyers that formed the cutting edge of both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets in the early years of the Second World War. Overall, this is a very effective and concise summary which should prove very useful for naval buffs.
   
   After a brief introduction that discusses the development of American inter-war destroyers and the post-World War One building holiday until 1932, McComb begins with a class by class synopsis. For each class, the author provides a brief summary of its development and lists all ships and hull numbers in a table. The author also makes several interesting comments about the pre-war destroyers, such as the superior quality of construction used, the decision to add Main Battery Directors and the risky decision to use high-pressure steam plants. Throughout these concise sections, the author's insight on the development of American destroyers is quite clear. The author then goes into a few pages on modernization of these destroyers, including radar and improved anti-aircraft defenses, but this section is a bit thin on detail. The actual offensive and defensive capabilities of these destroyers are listed in statistical terms, but a graphic showing the anti-aircraft umbrella would have been more useful.
   
   Fully half the volume covers the major combat operations of the pre-war destroyers during the Second World War, but this only gives a flavor of destroyer operations. Also, the emphasis is on destroyer operations in 1942-45, with much less on the early war period when these ships were virtually the only game in town. Graphically, this volume is very appealing: there are two battle scenes (USS Tillman versus German glide bombs off Naples in November 1943; Moosbrugger's Task Group 31.2 enroute to Vella Gulf, August 1943), eight side profiles (USS Wainwright of Sims-class, 1944; USS Hilary P. Jones of Benson-class, 1944; USS Ralph Talbot of Bagley-class, 1943; USS Sterett of Benham class, 1943; USS Dewey of Farragut-class, 1944; USS Smith of Mahan-class, 1944; USS Landsowne of Gleaves-class, 1945; USS Ellyson, 1945) and a cutaway color profile of USS Morris, Sims-class, 1942. However, there are no depictions of any of the destroyers in pre-war colors or configurations (e.g. no radar) and certain classes such as the Porter- and Somers- class are not well represented here. The author includes multiple tables (Pre-WW2US Navy Destroyer Classes by Fiscal Year; Design specifications for each class and recognition features, plus several on Pacific/Atlantic Fleet destroyer squadrons formed in 1942-44), which has quite a bit of useful data. Yet there is no mention of how much individual destroyers cost and I would have liked to known why the cost of each class doubled between 1932 and 1937 (my guess would be the high pressure steam plant played a large role in driving up the cost). There is also no discussion about how naval intelligence data on foreign destroyer programs influenced American destroyer design, but this would have been useful as well. Nevertheless, this is an excellent summary of U.S. prewar destroyer classes and once the author completes the next volume on wartime classes, these should prove to be handy references.



3. While not a comprehensive review like Friedman, this book gave a solid overview of the various classes of pre-war destroyers and was an enjoyable read.

4 comments about German Battleships 1914-18 (1): Deutschland, Nassau and Helgoland classes (New Vanguard).

1. Oftentimes, volumes in Osprey's New Vanguard series that cover naval topics tend to try and cover too many ships and too many classes in just 48 pages and end up skimming over the surface. However, Gary Staff was given the opportunity to cover the Imperial German Navy's battleships of the First World War in several volumes and he makes the most of this opportunity. German Battleships 1914-18 (1) is not a superficial summary but a very detailed look at three classes of German battleships (the Deutschland, Nassau and Helgoland classes) built in the period 1903-1912. It is clear in the opening pages that the author has a good understanding of naval design and is intimately familiar with the Kaiser's Navy, so the result is an informed look at this part of the German battle line.
   
   The volume is essentially divided into three sections, each covering one of the battleship classes. Each section discusses the design and development of each class (with interesting observations on the financial, technical and political decisions behind each class), armament, armor, seakeeping and machinery. He also provides a significant service record for each individual ship. The graphic quality of this volume is very high with three color profiles of battleships (SMS Deutschland, SMS Westfallen; SMS Helgoland) and a 2-page cut-away of SMS Rheinland. There are also three color battle scenes (destruction of SMS Pommern at Jutland in 1916; the Westfallen and Rheinland in the ice off Finland in 1918; SMS Thuringen in action at Jutland) depicting the battleships in action. The B/W photos throughout the volume are very good and uncommon. The author provides extensive data for each battleship in several tables, including unusual items such as propeller shaft rpm, double bottom as percent of length and number of compartments.
   
   This volume is about as good as a short volume on this topic gets. While the author could have economized on space a bit by having a sidebar on Jutland instead of discussing it under each ship's service record, his method is sound. He does point out how the Germans put a major effort into providing first-class underwater protection on their battleships, which made them very difficult to sink. He spends less time discussing offensive firepower, but notes that even Admiral Tirpitz realized that the hexagonal turret arrangement was outdated but inertia took-over and the Imperial Navy remained wedded to this concept after other navies had begun moving to the all-gun turrets-on-center-line approach. The German Navy was also relatively slow to move to bigger guns, as the Royal Navy battleships were moving to 13.5-inch guns. The author does use sidebars effectively, such as discussing the torpedo strike on SMS Westfallen.



2. This book contains an incredible amount of technical and operational information on these three classes of WW I German battleships. Although much of this information has previously been available in German language books this would appear to be the first time that is available in English.
   I could only find one error. On page 16 it is claimed that the first pre-dreadnought battleship to carry an "intermediate" battery of 8 to 10-in caliber guns was the Italian Regina Margheritta class of 1900 which carried four x 12-in and four x 8-in guns. In actuality, it could be said that the first such semi-dreadnoughts were the US Indiana class battleships of 1893 which carried four x 13-in and eight x 8-in guns



3. Based on previous issues in this series, particularly 'German Battlecruisers 1914-18,' I had expected an excellent and well-illustrated compendium of the early WW1 German battleships. Unfortunately, this issue does not live up to my expectations! The illustrations are very sketchy and very poorly detailed, especially when compared with previous issues (why didn't Osprey retain Tony Bryan as illustrator??), and the text is not particularly informative either. Granted, the early German battleships didn't have particularly exciting careers, especially when compared with that of the battlecruisers, but still, they had a couple incidents of real interest. While the activities involved with Jutland (Skagerak) are well-known, a diagram or two of the relative positions of these ships in the various formations would have been of real benefit, as well as a more general discussion of the battle itself, and the specific roles for the 'Deutchland,' 'Nassau,' and 'Helgoland' classes would also have been even more relevant. Finally, there are several references to the role of these ships in saving Finland from communist take-over. As this is a little-known, yet important incident, I would have thought a single good description with a diagram and a map or two of this would have been really interesting, but instead, it is merely mentioned in passing under the individual ship histories. In sum, I cannot say this volume lives up to the previous 'German Battlecruisers' issue, and can only hope the second part on the later classes will be a better production altogether....



4. This Osprey volume focuses on three classes of German battleships during World War I. As others in the series, this is a slim volume (47 pages of text). This is, of course, both a strength (easy to digest) and a weakness (perhaps not enough reflection and analysis). Overall, though, the book works pretty well.
   
   What are the three classes? The Deutschland, Nassau, and Helgoland classes. As the introductory comments note, before 1871, there was no German state and, hence, no navy. The first battleships were produced in 1890.
   
   The Deutschland class was authorized in 1900. The 1904 budget allowed for five ships in this class--what later became Deutschland, Hannover, Pommern, Schlesien, and Schleswig-Holstein. The ships were commissioned between 1906 and 1908. Their speed was about 18 knots and they had crews of about 740. Pages 4-15 feature discussion of the characteristics of these ships (armament, for instance) and discuss each of the battleships.
   
   Reality check. . . . The English battleship Dreadnought was launched after this series was in production. And it was a game changer. The first set of German battleships were not up to the new standard. The Nassau class of German battleships was closer to the high bear set by the Dreadnought. Ships in the Nassau series: Nassau, Westfalen, Rheinland, and Posen. Pages 23-33 consider each of the ships in this series as well as their service record. The Helgoland class included the Helgoland, Ostfriesland, Thuringen, and Oldenburg.
   
   Overall, a nice book. However, a final chapter/section pulling things together would have been quite useful.

5 comments about The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition.

1. A dear friend gave me this book when it was released and I became hooked on all things "Polar". The Frank Hurley photos alone are worth the price of the book. If you really want a treat, check out the photos under a magnifying glass---there are many interesting details missed with a casual glance. This is Ms. Alexander's best work (I read The Bounty a few years ago, and while a nice read, it pales in comparison to this gem.) I've given at least a half-dozen copies of this book to friends and family. And, while it may have the dimensions of a coffee table book, please read it if you have it; the prose is tight---and the Hurley photos. This book would be an excellent gift to a young person, as the photos are spectacular, but more importantly, the example of leadership of Sir Earnest Shackleton (a true leader) is inspiring to say the least.
   Very highly recommended.



2. This expedition was a failure in that Shackleton and his fellow explorers never accomplished the intended exploration. But this is a monumental story of survival I haven't read anything like this since, I believe, I was in my teens and engrossed in the arctic and antarctic explorations.The ship which carried the men to the South polar region was aptly named although the ship itself was ultimately lost in the wastes. Personal journal accounts and photographs taken during the ordeal are liberally used to tell us this story which is as enthralling as any fiction and yet is totally true. The fact that no human lives were lost during the months these men were trapped in the ice is of course incredible. This would be a great gift book for those armchair adventurers on your list.



3. This was a book that I thought would be an interesting adventure, but what I got was so much more! It was the story of a Captain, who you can only grow to respect, that led his men through the toughest of situations with the fairness and heroicism of a true leader. Written in textbook style, it is a book that, surprisingly, you will not be able to put down.



4. The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition (Alfred A. Knopf 2008, original printing in 1998)
   
   The story of the trek of Ernest Shackleton and his crew across Antarctica in 1914-1915 is told in this magnificent biography in a manner so that the reader feels a part of the crew. The trip was undertaken in the wooden ship Endurance with sails billowing and steam engines throbbing on its way into the icy domain of South Georgia and the South Pole. It was not the first mission to the frozen world.
   
   Danger vested immediately as the ship was consumed by the icy forces of raw nature and the crew, including 69 sledging dogs and a cat named Mrs. Chippy, was on its won with no means of escape. The adventure was captured with the artistic photography of Frank Hurley, with many previously unpublished photos prominent in this story.
   
   Endurance was entombed by ice in the early months of 1915. The story touches on the lives and feelings of the crew, as well as the amazing leadership of Shackleton. He seemed to prize optimism in his men, which he referred to as "true moral courage." The reader is there with these brave souls, anticipating each step in the process with the enduring question of whether they will survive to return to England (and World War I) -- boiling whale blubber, catching penguins for food, tending to the parasite infested dogs, addressing the aches and fears of the crew, giggling at the antics of the dogs, or the seeing the natural beauty of the icescape.
   
   By August of 1915, the blocks of young ice were grinding on Endurance, eventually breaking it up and sending crew and dogs on their way, even teams of men pulling the life boats. In April 1916, the team finally came to land at Elephant Island ending their trek across thin ice. The n Shackleton led a crew across 800 miles of ocean and ice back to South Georgia. Rescue of the men and dogs on Elephant Island finally occurred in August 1916.
   
   Caroline Alexander has an amazing skill of blending diary detail and pictures to allow us readers to enjoy the optimism of the beginning, the agony of the shipwreck, the leadership of Shackleton, and the strength of character to endure the way forward. I felt as if I was on the journey, relieved at last to be on my way home with not a life lost! Simply Amazing!



5. Explorer Ernest Shackleton didn't know when he named his boat "The Endurance" that he would be foreshadowing a survival experience for the ages. The story of his nearly two years of survival in the Antarctic and southern polar areas is one of endurance and fortitude in the face of unimaginable physical hardships.
   
   The text and the photos evoke the many emotions and thoughts that must have occurred to Shackleton and his men: loneliness, fear, raw beauty, untamed nature, comradeship, dirt, exhaustion, hopeless, and triumph. This book, more than any other I can think of, makes the case for having photos accompany non-fiction works whenever possible. The photos are stunning, especially when it's considered that they were done with glass-plate technology that had to survive the incredible journey to safety of Shackleton and his men.
   
   A recap of the tale. Unlike some polar explorers, Shackleton was well-prepared when he went on his fateful journey in 1914. He'd held the record at one time for the overland voyage closest to the South Pole -- and almost perished on the journey -- and so he knew what to do and not to do to overcome the harsh conditions. So when he set out to make the first crossing of the Antarctic ice cap, he was ready for spending a long time on the unforgiving ice. However, due to bad luck of setting sail (yes, sail) in a wood boat during a year when the winter storms came early, he was trapped on the ice with 22 men and their dog teams.
   
   After they wintered on the ice, living in the boat for a while and then on tents when the boat sank, Shackleton and his men truly began to suffer as they tried to find a way home. First, they tried to walk. But the terrain was so rough and they had to carry so much stuff for the long walk that they were averaging 1.5 miles per day. Then they sat on ice floes, waiting for the water to clear so that they could sail their lifeboats through treacherous waters without being crushed. And then in three boats of less than 30 feet length, they sailed several hundred miles through gales and storms over six days, only to land on one of the most isolated, desolate spots of rock in the world. From there, Shackleton set sail again in a single boat with a crew of five, and they went more than 800 miles to a speck of an island, where there was a whaling station. Of course, he landed on the opposite end of the island and had to walk over ice-covered mountains thousands of feet high in order to reach the station and ultimate rescue.
   
   It's simply impossible to imagine living in a tent on an ice floe, with 80-mph gales blowing for days, and eating penguin or seal stakes every day for months on end. It's impossible to imagine not having a hot bath for more than two years, or enduring a ride in a waterlogged boat for in icy waters for six days, especially after already having been worn down by more than year of living in sub-human conditions. But Shackleton and the other men did it -- apparently with mostly good cheer and optimism.
   
   
   

5 comments about How to Read a Nautical Chart : A Complete Guide to the Symbols, Abbreviations, and Data Displayed on Nautical Charts.

1. Since the current U.S. Administration saw fit to cease publication of CHART NO. 1, the government's own guide to reading maritime maps, back in 2000 (maybe they figured Dubai might pick up the slack around our harbors), HOW TO READ A NAUTICAL CHART is an absolutely crucial educational volume for those of us new to reading charts.
   
   It's all here. Nigel Calder does a splendid job of taking the esoterica of chart symbolism and language and turning it into something any boater can understand in everyday terms. He also does a fine job delineating the differences between harbor charts, large area charts, GPS readings and so on, all of which have their own internal but non-complimentary logic.
   
   If you leave the dock, knowledge of and familiarity with charts can avoid costly errors, save your boat, and literally save your life. HOW TO READ A NAUTICAL CHART is a reference you must have.



2. As a newbie to reading charts I soon realized that much of the information displayed on a nautical chart is difficult or imposable to decode without some reference outside of the chart itself.
   
   This book does a beautiful job of explaining all the mysterious symbols and conventions. It also has a great introduction that puts chart creation and interpretation into a practical, real-world perspective. I would consider this book to be a vital part of any vessel's safety equipment.



3. Brand new item, very nice. Smooth transaction with excellent communication & quick shipping. Thank You



4. Very detailed. Plan to sit with coffee and really study but you will get good understanding of the material.



5. This is a complete, accurate and succinct reference book. It is almost required reading for mariners of all sizes.

5 comments about If I Die in a Combat Zone : Box Me Up and Ship Me Home.

1. . . . but the writing is five stars when compared with others).
   
   When I read O'Brien's memoir/novel "The Things They Carried," I came away incredibly impressed with O'Brien's storytelling style. He's one of the few great writers out there, as far as I'm concerned. He's very concise, painting detailed images with an economy of words, and that's what makes his style so powerful. He has a point to make and doesn't waste time--yours or his--making it. He comes across as direct yet literary--sort of like Hemingway--but far more engaging and intimate.
   
   "If I Die in a Combat Zone" doesn't quite measure up to "The Things They Carried," but it's still miles above many other first-hand accounts out there. While it comes across as honest, it lacks the humorous style of Philip Caputo's "A Rumour of War." I grant that there's nothing particularly funny about wandering purposelessly through Vietnam wondering whether or not you're going to make it, but Caputo comes across like a funny guy while O'Brien takes a more serious tack. The result is that Caputo seems like the guy you'd wanna have a beer with whereas with O'Brien you're not quite sure. Basically, "If I Die . . ." reads a lot like "The Things They Carried," honest and poignant.
   
   Interestingly, there's a few occasions where O'Brien mentions his friend, Erik, from basic training and it almost seems like the two are lovers or something (they're not). Granted, Erik has an interest in poetry (a regular Siegfried Sassoon, he is), so his letters, perhaps, come across as a bit more sensitive, flowery and introspective than the usual dispatches you might encounter from the typical Army recruit. You just don't capture much humor between the two.
   
   You might expect that "If I Die . . ." is strictly an account of O'Brien's one-year tour of duty in Vietnam, but he includes depictions of his home town right after high school, how he responds to being drafted, how he plans to skip the country (and why he doesn't). In addition, if you're in the Army for a year, you've got to get trained first, so O'Brien talks about his time in basic and advanced training. You're well into the book before he even gets to Vietnam (and the book is less than 210 pages long). But, as I said, O'Brien is concise and completely captures his Vietnam months without seemingly missing any of the details, so you won't feel as though anything's missing.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. Tim O'Brien is an excellent war author. This is only the second book I have read of his but I do enjoy the insight to military life and war. There were a few things I did not like. I could be bias because I read this book during a deployment but I was not big on the antiwar talk. I felt cheated out of a good war book after hearing so much of it. But none the less, O'Brien is an excellent author. His characters are round and he pulls you into each scene with vivid description and honest dialogue. This book is literature.



3. If this was the first O'Brien book I've read, then I'd give a 5 star. But keep in mind that a 4 star does NOT mean it's poorly written. In fact, _If I Die in a Combat Zone_ excellently recounts the life in Vietnam as a foot soldier and guilds readers through O'Brien's start to finish. Of course, it would've been nice to learn more about what happened after he got home. And as for the 4 star, the first O'Brien book I've read is _Things They Carried_.



4. This is a fairly short book (200 pages) and gives an in depth eye witness account of the war in Vietnam. Tim O'Brien is a phenomenal writer, and it really stands out in this book. It's not a fake action book with super human people and overly dramatic explosions, but instead it's the authors true account of what he experienced in Vietnam.



5. This is O'Brien's first book, written as the Vietnam War (American version) still raged, and I consider it his best. The authenticity of the American soldier's experience in the war permeates the book, and he did not need to embellish the stories with some of the "magic realism" that he used in later works. I also gave "The Things They Carried" a solid 5-stars but felt that the quality of some of the stories in that work was uneven; particularly such stories as "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong." The title to this book, as well as my subject line to my review are derived from the song fragments that the drill instructors made you sing in basic training. As O'Brien says, if you want to understand how the massacre at My Lai happened, you need to look at the "training" of the soldiers who went to the war. O'Brien has several excellent chapters on the "training," which is primarily composed of psychological methods to de-humanize the one-time civilian and transform him (when it was males who were drafted) into an automaton who follows orders blindly.
   
   For the vast majority of readers who were not in the war, I think it helps to realize that O'Brien's own experience represented a slender, but the most essential aspect of the war. The vast majority of the soldiers who were there, which peaked at more than half a million per year, were not in the infantry. At most, 15% had experiences like O'Brien. Furthermore, he was there during the waning days of American ground combat, 1969-70, and within a year virtually all such operations would cease, though the war would drag on for another four years. By then all the soldiers were cynical about the prospects of "winning," and only hoped to last out their 12 months, preferably in the rear, if that could be arranged. And O'Brien was in an area, Quang Ngai province, which received virtually no press coverage, until, that is, a courageous photographer retain a few rolls of film, delivered them to the media, exposing the massacre which occurred at My Lai. O'Brien took part in patrols around My Lai, but more than a year after the massacre. On these patrols, O'Brien and his fellow soldiers were also bedeviled by the mines which were a catalyst for the most famous massacre of the war.
   
   My year in Vietnam commenced six months prior to O'Brien's and I was only 50-100 km south of him, in Binh Dinh province. I was in a tank unit, and we did conduct combined operations with infantry, so the story told in Chapter 17, "July" was haunting, since it covered one of the most unfortunate aspects of any war -- being killed by your own men or equipment, and in this chapter, some of the infantry were run over by the "APC," (Armored Personnel Carriers) during a joint operation.
   
   O'Brien was a "college boy," one who was well-read, and brought the world of books to his experiences there, with philosophical discussions on the meaning of courage and perspectives from Hemingway to Homer. He opposed the war before his arrival, supported McCarthy for President, had read Bernard Fall on the French War in Vietnam, and had read Graham Greene's quintessential "The Quiet American." Regrettably, he apparently had not read Remarque's "All Quiet on the Western Front," which is the anti-war novel I believe this collection of non-fiction stories most closely resembles. They both covered the training, and the actual combat; the enormous disparity in a soldier's life between the "front" and the "rear" areas; the matter of dumb blind luck as to who survives and who doesn't; and the extreme variability in the competence of the officers. Unlike Remarque's war though, which was primarily army against army, Vietnam, as well as Afghanistan today represents warfare in and amongst a civilian population that will remain, long after the Americans are gone.
   
   The portrait of Major Callicles is brilliant. The Major represents the old "brown-boot" Army, from Korea and the hey-day of Germany during the late `50's. In Vietnam his world truly disintegrated, as he saw "his" Army collapse in a hopeless struggle for the so-called hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people, and the draftees who fought in the war chose a different drug than the alcohol that sustained the Major. And there was the very real discipline the troops imposed on the officer corps; the "fragging" of officers who were too gung-ho, needlessly endangering the lives of the troops they commanded.
   
   The classic accounts of the Vietnam War were primarily written by journalists, from Stanley Karnow to Neil Sheehan. In these books, as is appropriate, much coverage is given to the political leadership in America and Vietnam, and the rationale behind various decisions. Saigon is not even mentioned in this book, and it is unlikely if O'Brien, just like me, ever saw the city during the entire year. Other "grunts" have written about their experiences in the infantry, but O'Brien's account will always remain the best of the Vietnam War. A solid 5-stars.

5 comments about 21: The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey (Aubrey/Maturin Series).

1. The perfect ending to the series, left unfinished when O'Brian died at age 85, shortly after the death of his wife. 21 is 21st in the series, and O'Brian never gave it a title. Now-Admiral Aubrey takes over his flag-ship and his small (but as Maturin learned, don't tell HIM that, unless he says it first) squadron, Surprise is sent home for repairs and refitting, and Mrs Aubrey and children, Brigid and Mrs. Wood, and Padeen are brought to the ship to sail with Aubrey.
   
   When the story ends there, it leaves the characters together, happy--and not completed! The reader can safely imagine them still sailing, happy and active, and never killed off, married off, or otherwise disposed of in ways that leave the reader dissatisfied and wishing for more or different.
   
   Now that you endured, here are two reference books that belong on the bookshelf of a Patrick O'Brian fan:
   
   Harbors and High Seas, 3rd Edition : An Atlas and Geographical Guide to the Complete Aubrey-Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian, Third Edition
   A Sea of Words: A Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales



2. I read the Aubrey/Maturin canon during the '90s, including the last few as they were published. Therefore, O'Brian's death in 2001 brought a sudden end to my travels with him. When 21 was published a few years later, I couldn't bring myself to embrace a reminder that there would be no more novels in the series. But, enough time has passed that I felt the time was right to read it.
   
   21 offers a fascinating insight to O'Brian's writing process. The handwritten first draft is surprisingly well-developed, but undergoes revisions with the first typewritten draft, presented on the opposite page. A subsequent typewritten draft would have refined the prose further. The intriguing part is what is revealed in the handwritten draft. Some passages are fitfully written, with scratched out phrases and adjoining sections that clearly have intervals of time between them as evidenced by the change in handwriting. Other passages clearly flowed from his pen as long, uninterrupted, streams of inspiration.
   
   This book is clearly only for the O'Brian enthusiast. The prose lacks the crispness one normally associates with O'Brian, which presumably would have been injected in the final draft. The book not only lacks a title, but only has about 3 chapters. The typewritten draft ends mid-sentence. A strikingly poignant end to one of the greatest bodies of work in English literature.



3. Having wasted my money on this product, I now know why you go to great lengths to conceal the reader, who is not Simon Vance and can not be listened to. Utterly disappointing.



4. Patrick O'Brian's unfinished twenty-first novel in the Aubrey-Maturin series was released four years after his death. Although at first I was hesitant to read an unfinished manuscript for many reasons, as a fan of the series, I am very happy to have had the opportunity to get one last glimpse of Admiral Aubrey and Dr. Maturin - and get a tiny glimpse inside Patrick O'Brian's creative process.
   
   The released novel includes only three chapters of the final book. The typeset pages face counterpart copies of Patrick O'Brian's hand-written manuscript, including strike-throughs and other changes.
   
   The Aubrey-Maturin books are quite simply the best fiction I've ever read. I enjoy them so much that I find it difficult to read any other fiction now.
   
   Although there are twenty (completed) Aubrey-Maturin novels, in a sense they are one long, unending story. O'Brian tells the story of an unlikely pair of friends in early 19th century Britain: a hard-charging Royal Navy captain and an Irish physician and naturalist (and British spy). Both are devoted, for different reasons, to the fight against Napoleonic France. Captain Jack Aubrey and Doctor Stephen Maturin are dedicated friends, and the interplay between this unlikely pair is ranges from deep philosophical discussions to intended and unintended humor.
   
   But what really makes these novels is Patrick O'Brian's writing style. Through his words, he paints wonderful pictures and creates real characters in brilliant narratives; which is good, because Aubrey and many of his exploits are based on real-life adventures during the Napoleonic Wars.
   
   Reading this unfinished novel helps the reader believe that Aubrey and Maturin are still alive and know that, had he not died, Patrick O'Brian had more plans for the Aubrey with his admiral's flag and his entire family. This release is for true devotees of the series.



5. This shows signs of being rushed to print, including obvious typos in the printed text. Conceivably, these were O'Brian's typos in his typescript and the publisher diligently reproduced them, but that seems unlikely at best. It's also disappointing that the publisher couldn't find someone to transcribe the final pages of the handwritten draft reproduced here; presumably time and money were issues.

5 comments about Courageous (The Lost Fleet, Book 3).

1. This series is starting to seriously frustrate me! I feel like it is going nowhere at a painfully slow pace. The idea behind the story is brilliant, but the pace is awful and I want to strangle some of the characters. The first two books were great, so what happened?
   
   I have a gigantic list of gripes. First, can I seriously just open a ship door and shove Rione out into space? For real! She is the most redundant, narrow-minded, anal, annoying, and impossible female character I think that I have ever come across. She seriously has two lines in the whole novel, "I'm not going to let you turn into Black Jack," and "I'm an important politician, you need to respect me while I butt in on your area of expertise." Seriously, it portrayed women very badly like frivolous, entitled, and air-headed banshees. (We are only banshees on Fridays, dang it.) I swear that 75% of the novel was just her nagging and griping at poor John Geary.
   
   Next, there were a lot of a repetitive scenes and lines. I counted John saying the same lines (verbatim) more than 3 times. I almost had deja vu when I read then like, "did my bookmark move? I swear I've already read this." The same is true with the long-winded conferences. I think you could seriously just read the first 20 pages, 10 pages in the middle, and 20 at the end and know what went down and be less frustrated.
   
   Next, I swear nothing happened. Okay, a few things happened, but this book should have probably been combined with another one. It could easily be told in 35 pages. (All you would have to do is take out Rione griping, seriously.)
   
   There were still some specks of the things that made me fall into obsession with this series in the first place. The author is unrivaled in his ability to write understandable combat scenes. I am very ignorant about that type of stuff, and I understand the movements very well. The characters (some of them) are great and very human. There is a slight underlying tension to the story that keeps propelling that story. It was just covered in tons and tons of repetitive blah in this particular book.
   
   All that being said, I am going to continue with this series because I believe it will go back to being an awesome space opera. (And I've already purchased the next one, heh.) I love this series, but this book, to put it in bluntly, sucked, sucked, and then sucked some more at times.



2. It's a decent space fighting series. Never get's too heavy and always moves along at a brisk pace. While I enjoy the long epic stories, sometimes it is nice to pick up something a little different.
   
   My only problem is that the books were so short, that I caught up to the current published books very quickly.



3. Okay, the battles are great, a lot of detail and of course enough win's to make it fun to keep reading. But ENOUGH already with the repeated explanations, the same pieces over and over again from Book 1 all the way to the last one is simply BOORING! Please also the continual "listening" to Capain Geary's thought is getting on the nerves, try another tack please! Okay, so it does seem to keep beeing a reasonable read but ALL the information is from ONE view - who else but Captain Geary - only! Come on, please lets see the action and thoughts and views of some of the other characters too! Never mind the Co-President Rione, she has become irrelevant in book 3 already so I see no use for her or the continual repeats of the history that only belongs in book 1, only space filler making the value of these books each less then $ 2.00 each, AMAZON is absolutely charging TOO MUCH for these books.
   Time to start sharing files? Page fillers at high prices is just too much. The books entice enough to keep reading to the end but if you pause at any time it is often too hard to pick up again.
   Go-ahead and print this.



4. I had thoroughly enjoyed reading the previous two books but this one got lost in the tiresome and irritating Senator Rione. I grew irritated with her behavior at about 1/3 and simply disgusted with the space devoted to her and her foibles.
   Unfortunately, she won't get lost or improve with time, so this is the last of the series I read. I'm reading for an action/adventure story, not touchy-feely relationship logbooks.



5. But I still enjoyed Courageous (The Lost Fleet, Book 3). Yes Victoria Rione can be annoying. Her relationship with Geary needs to move up to the next level for it to keep from descending into parody. It's not a very realistic relationship; fight-question-sex-pray to ancestors, etc. I thought the author missed a great chance to play the drunk-sex scene for laughs that would have deepened the characters immeasurably. In fact the charcterizations are still far too shallow in general. But I find myself continuing to turn the pages waiting for the next encounter. The end was great (even if I did spot a typo or two) and I'm dying to know what happens in book 4 back in Lakota.
   
   db

5 comments about Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.

1. This is one of the very best "adventure" stories of all time. You can not possibly go wrong buying this book if you have any interest at all in adventure books. I have read several books on this subject. This one, in my opinion, is the best.



2. An earlier reviewer, with experience of frigid conditions in Alaska, cast some doubt on the ability of these men survive while wet in below zero temperatures and howling wind chill factors. It does sound incredible, especially when they were in the boats with no source of heat. But I note that they wore mostly wool undergarments, trousers and sweaters, with gabardine overcoats. Also fur-lined boots. Gabardine, at least back then, was made of worsted wool. Their sleeping bags, often soaked as well, were made from reindeer hides. Fur-lined, that is. I also note Allan Frey's excellent survival book, based on 40 years of living in the Yukon territory, often in a teepee. He prefers wool as well -- and I have cashed in some of my outdoor gear for wool pants and parka. It retains insulating qualities even while soaked and compressed. How else do you think the critters who originally wore it survived outdoors without tents or roofs over their horned heads?
   
   Had these men slept in and been garbed in what most outdoorsmen wear today -- down shrouded in nylon or polyester -- we wouldn't be reading this phenomenal book because they would all have perished in the first year. Even the newest miracle fillings -- Hollofil and the like -- would have blown out of their shredded shells like that down wafting from weeds in the Spring. I don't think they had duct tape for patching such shells back then -- a common site among modern outdoorsmen in their Michelin-man coats.
   
   Yes, in a long, dire emergency -- give me Shackleton every time. And I had btter be clad in leather and wool.



3. There are a few books we can consider required reading of a modern educated person. Anne Frank's diary would be one, and I think this version of the Shackleton drama would be another. I have a friend who reads it every year.
   
   Because there are so many strong reviews of this book, I'll speak briefly of something that might be overlooked.
   
   In the eyes of most readers, the most astonishing thing about this adventure is that not a single life was lost. And that truly is amazing. Obviously, things could have gone much worse with just a tiny bit more bad luck. But I'd note something that might be just as strange. In all of the grueling and painful twists in this adventure, Shackleton seems never to have lost the trust and respect of his men. Think of that. Every little decision he made was potentially fatal for the whole crew, and he often had to make decisions that had every chance of being lethally wrong. And yet his men stood stoutly behind "the old man" and were prepared to die with that kind of total trust.
   
   Anyone who wants to be a leader should read this book annually and think about what qualities were present in Shackleton that allowed him to be such an effective leader under such wretched circumstances.
   
   Sometimes our minds can be our worst enemies. Rational thought can save the life of an explorer caught in a life-threatening crisis. But when the situation we are in is apparently hopeless, rational thought is our potential enemy. There were many times during the Shackleton adventure when a rational person would have to conclude that the story had no chance of getting a happy ending. That is when "endurance" becomes a queer virtue, when you put one foot in front of the other in spite of the fact that you are suffering hugely in an effort that is "surely" doomed to fail.
   
   I am not a great fan of adventure literature, and yet the best of it is utterly captivating. In a sense, extreme adventures can be like laboratories that experiment with human nature, testing the limits of what it can do. Nobody would ever get permission to put humans in such grim and painful circumstances as they chose to put themselves in for these grand adventures. Since they do volunteer to do dangerous and painful things, we can take advantage of the chance to see how the human spirit fares when exposed to the worst possible tests.
   
   And that is the particular gift of this book. Without blinking in its description of the hell these men experienced, the author shows us how magnificently they were led and how courageously they fought to keep alive. In the end, they proved that the human spirit can soar above threats and challenges that seem perfectly invincible. The salvation these men ultimately earned was bought at a terrible price, and yet we can thrill with them when we see them prevail when it was surely "impossible" that they would.



4. Definitely non-fiction, but written in an easily read manner. Even knowing how it all turns out, it was a great adventure.



5. An absolutely fantastic account of an ordeal almost beyond belief. The reading was wonderful, because the writing was impeccable. Granted, one can't really go wrong with a subject this fascinating; Shackleton's voyage (actually several voyages in one, or so it seemed) is something that is hard to fathom. How he actually accomplished what he did in those conditions is something I don't think we'll ever really understand, unless you believe in miracles. And Lansing's account of it is flawless.