Two Roads to War

Binding:Hardback
Published:June 15, 2012

Noted aviation historian Robin Higham has written this comparative study of the evolution of the French and British air arms from 1918 to 1940 to determine why the Armée de l’Air was defeated in June 1940 but the Royal Air Force was able to win the battle over Britain in September. After analyzing the structure, men, and matériel of the air arms, and the government and economic infrastructure of both countries, he concludes that the French force was dominated by the Armée de Terre, had no suitably powerful aero engines, and suffered from the chaos of French politics. In contrast, the independent RAF evolved into a sophisticated, scientifically based force, supported by consistent government practices. Higham’s thorough examination,

Edge of Valor

Naval Institute Press 9781612515199 Hardcover & eBook 344 Pages 344 Pages Fiction July 2014

While we don't normally review works of fiction, this book looked interesting so did peruse it. The book is set in the summer of 1945 on a  US Navy destroyer in the Pacific which suffered a Kamikaze hit with the CO, XO and Squadron Commander in recurring roles. The CO, after getting his ship back to port, is transferred to special duty.

The CO, Todd Ingram, becomes intimately involved in early Cold War intrigues, a time overshadowed at the time by the rush to demobilize. Being the fifth in a series of novels, the characters are fairly well developed by this point.

Taking over a series at book five in a series is usually either a sign the author is popular and commands fees the publisher cannot meet or the previous books have not been good sellers. Indeed this was the case with the late Tom Clancy, whose first novel, Hunt for Red October, was shepherded through the production process by editor Fred Rainbow of Naval Institute Press. The book was a great success which had the deleterious effect of pricing the author on to a larger publishing house. However in the case of this book, we'll leave judgement on this to the reader.

The only complaint I had with the book was the page layout. Reading fiction is supposed to an enjoyable experience and the text was too bunched together with a small font, which would make the book an uncomfortable read for older readers.

Fire on the Water

Naval Institute Press 9781612517957 Hardcover & eBook 288 Pages September 2014

This timely book is a look at potential war plans for China in the Indo-Pacific region. With the rise in Chinese naval power and the continual decline of the US Navy's fleet, just what could happen must be examined.

Author Haddick cites as example if the Forward Strategy of Cold War era CNO Thomas Hayward and adopted by then Secretary of the Navy John F Lehman. However the timeline of how this came about is in error; Hayward's plan was first articulated to the public by US Naval Intelligence Analyst and former USNI author and Editorial Board member AD (Dave) Baker III in the Pages of Proceedings. Having read Baker's article and in subsequent meetings, Lehman appointed Baker his special assistant to implement the strategy.

The text brings up the major shortfall in US carrier aviation yet again, the lack of range of the aircraft. This has been a problem since going to the all Hornet force which has been exacerbated by the retirement of dedicated refueling aircraft. This state of affairs will not be any different when the F-35C is introduced to fleet service with carriers still having to operate close enough to hostile shores that would put them in range of Chinese ballistic missiles.

The author advocates for new missiles to replace now outdated Tomahawk and Harpoon variants with longer range supersonic missiles which minimize risk to aircraft carrier battle groups.

Well done Mr Haddick for bringing forward this matter that requires serious study.

Unflinching Zeal

9781612511115 Hardcover & Ebook Naval Institute Press 368 Pages 

This consequential work by a pioneer aviation historian fills a significant gap in the story of the defeat of France in 1940. Higham also more fully explains the Battle of Britain and its influence on the Luftwaffe’s invasion of the USSR. The author provides a comparative analysis of the French, German, and British air forces and then dissects their campaigns, losses, and replacement abilities. His research led to an important finding: the three air forces actually shot down only 19 percent of the number of aircraft claimed, and in the RAF’s case, 44 percent of those shot down were readily repairable, contrasting with only 8 percent for the Germans and zero for the French. Higham concludes that awareness of consumption, wastage, and sustainability were intimately connected to survival, and his book emphasizes the necessity of realistic assessments.
Having a late relative who was the only RCAF pilot assinged to RAF 601 "Millionaires" Squadron (so named as from its prewar home for some of the wealthiest members of the Royal (Auxiliary) Air Force, I was engaged in the narrative.
Most French aircraft of the prewar era were of poor design and were unsurprisingly massacred by the Luftwaffe in 1940. From Versailles to Dunkirk, France blamed the army for the loss of five million deaths in the First World War. This feedling lead to pitiful attention to the military which was unprepared for war in 1939.
The UK funded the Royal Air Force slowly and unevenly through the 1920s and 30s and spent much to their air resources in India and other outposts of the British Empire. Poor decisions on acquisitions produced disastrous aircraft such as the Fairey Battle, which like the French designs, was massacred in 1940 by the Germans. 
Kudos to Mr Higham for producing this fine work.

Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, 19th Ed

Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, 19th Ed
Naval Insitute Press Annapolis March 2013 9781591146872 Hardcover 688 pages

Very happy to see the publishing of the 19th Edition of this Naval Institute staple and that the considerable talents of Richard Burgess has been added to the production. As usual the book is profusely illustrated and with many excellent lists and tables in a large format. The one think I could do without are the numerous listing of retired classes of ship, which seems to fly in the face of the intent of original editor James C Fahey. Apart from this, the book is highly recommended and should be added to the bookshelf of military and civilian personnel with an interest in the US Navy, US Coast Guard, NOAA and Military Sealift Command.

The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 16th Ed

The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 16th Ed
Naval Institute Press Annapolis August 2013 9781591149545 Hardcover 1,008 pages 

Called “the nation’s premier naval reference book,” The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World is internationally acknowledged as the best one-volume reference to the world’s naval and paranaval forces. Updated regularly since 1976, it has come to be relied on for all-inclusive, accurate, and up-to-date data on the ships, navies, coast guards, and naval aviation arms of more than 170 countries and territories. Large fleets and small maritime forces get equally thorough treatment. Comprehensive indexes make the book easy to use and allow for quick comparisons between ships and fleets.
This new 16th edition, presents information on all the major and minor maritime developments that could impact the world scene in the years to come. Heavily illustrated with 4,450 black & white  photos and 179 multi-view line drawings, Combat Fleets  provides the user with the most detailed views available for identification and comparison purposes. Additional aids for the user include a section on how to use the book, lists of terms and abbreviations,an informative ship-name index, and more. An expanded chapter on the Chinese navy provides major updates on the status of their new aircraft carrier and the latest Chinese submarines, surface ships and naval missiles. Dozens of detailed line drawings depict exactly where weapons and sensors are located on the world’s combatants such as the Iranian Ghadir-class submarines, the French Forbin-class destroyers, and the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships.
The ship data section for each country provides full coverage of all ships, from the largest aircraft carriers to the smallest training and auxiliary craft. The vessels of the world’s coast guards and customs services are given thorough treatment as well. But the book is much more than a ship encyclopedia. It includes information on the personnel strengths of each country’s naval forces, major base locations, and details on maritime radar, sonar, naval aircraft, and weapon systems currently in service.
For the Canadian section, I was disappointed in the section not being up to date. 

Asian Maritime Strategies

By Bernard D Cole 9781591141624 Naval Institute Press Hardcover & eBook 320 Pages October 2013

An analysis of the current state of maritime defense in Asian waters. With the financial capacity of the US to maintain a permanent presence in the region in doubt, the strengths and weaknesses of the nations in the region is what should be examined in detail. The smaller nations are also covered as well as the larger ones such as China, India and Japan. The one disappointment of this books was the lack of illustrations and tables to put things in perspective. This book is a timely addition to current geopolitical thought processes.

 

The Liberty Incident Revealed

By A Jay Cristol 9781612513409 Naval Institute Press Hardcover & eBook 416 Pages September 2013

This book is an update of the author's 2002 treatise on the Israeli attack on USS Liberty in 1967. Former naval aviator and current judge and law professor Cristol successfully sued the National Security Administration (NSA), under freedom in information laws, for their files on the attack. He has added six chapters to this new version, in what will surely become the definitive account on this unfortunate incident and firmly believes the historical record is accurate. Hopefully this will be the case and bring closure to all persons with a personal connection to the tragedy.

21st Century Mahan

By Benjamin Armstrong 9781612512433 Paperback & eBook 192 Pages August 2013

The hypothesis behind this work is that the writings of Alfred Thayer Mahan have been extensively written about but not too widely read. This book is a compilation of five essays written by Mahan and is recommended for young naval officers to get a good grasp on the timeless aspects of service life and strategy.

 

Congo The Miserable Expeditions and Dreadful Death of Lt Emory Taunt USN

By Andrew CA Jampoler 9781612510798 Hardcover & eBook 288 Pages June 2013

Having read Heart of Darkness in college, I had a feel for the subject matter before reading. Author Jampoler was in a party of six that traveled the Congo retracing the travels of Lt Emory Taunt USN. The late 1800s were the pinnacle of the colonial movement by European and US governments. Belgium colonized the Congo and Taunt was there for some of the travails of independence and colonization and the resultant social upheavals. The books is adequately written but the problem is the sanctimony of the author condemning Belgian atrocities that the US was equally, if not more so, guilty of during the subjugation of the Philippines.

The Zimmermann Telegram: Intelligence, Diplomacy, and America's Entry into World War I

By Thomas Boghardt 9781612511481 Naval Institute Press 2012 Hardcover 344 pages

At first I had doubts about this book as it seemed a needless duplication of the work of the late, great Barbara Tuchman on the same subject. While this latest effort is not of the caliber of Tuchman, it does paint a good picture of the intriques, both military and political, which eventually lead to US involvement in the First World War. In that regard, we do recommend this latest examination of this fascinating era of history.

Destined for Glory

By Thomas Wildenberg

ISBN 9781591149699 Paperback/Ebook 288 Pages 1998 US Naval Institute Press March 2012



This book is in a nice easy to read format and contains some photos of rare and famous aircraft. The art of dive bombing was practiced by all navies in the 1920s through to the final aircraft employed - the Grumman A-6 Intruder. This book covers the development of the dive bomber for the US Navy & Marine Corps up the their successes in the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway. 
For aviation buffs, this book would make a welcome addition to their collection.

Nomonhan 1939

By Stuart D Goldman


ISBN 9781591143291 Hardcover & eBook 288 pages US Naval Institute Press April 2012 

Largely ignored by history, the Soviet Union's war with Imperial Japan along the Manchuria/Mongolia border is finally studied in depth. This war's outcome, with the Soviets victorious, lead to dramatic changes in the future course of World War II. The Japanese defeat lead them to instead focus south to the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The Soviets, after their victory, were then free to enter into their infamous non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany which preceded the invasion of Poland. Congratulations to Dr Goldman for documenting this event.

Strike Warfare in the 21st Century

By Dale E Knutsen

 

ISBN 9781612510835 Hardcover & eBook 208 pages Naval Institute Press May 2012

Strike warfare is a term rarely used in the media and almost never explained, although reports of conflicts often describe its application or effects. To provide readers with a better appreciation for this powerful military capability, Dale E. Knutsen defines the term and traces its development. The book opens with a discussion of strike warfare operations and addresses the targets, defenses, resources, and steps required to prosecute an attack. The second half of the book describes how strike weapons are developed. The author’s goal is to eliminate the uncertainty, mystery, and outright fiction that sometimes exist in various explanations of the term. Knutsen closes with some thoughts about lessons learned and trends for the future.
The author spent many years at NAWC China Lake and is a good source of unclassified information on this topic. This book makes for a handy reference tool without getting too dry. The days of aircraft flying low on a bombing run a thing of the past with today's technology making the target not even aware they are about to be vanquished.

Float Planes and Flying Boats

9781612511078 By Capt. Robert B Workman USCG (Ret'd) Naval Institute Press 2012

With nearly 300 vintage photographs and close to 300 pages of text, retired U.S. Coast Guard aviator Capt. Robert Workman presents a complete picture of naval aviation’s rapid development between 1911 and 1938.  Frustrated by the lack of information specifically about the Coast Guard’s aviation heritage, the author undertook research of his own.  The result is a balanced look at early naval aviation that, for the first time, gives full credit to the important contributions made by Coast Guardsmen.  He shows that it was thanks to their creativity, skill, and determination, along with efforts by the other sea services, that such great strides were possible.  Several chapters are devoted to the inventions of the float plane and flying boat and why the flying boat was considered more seaworthy and reliable.
This book contains an excellent collection of photos and research but lacks focus on what it wants to be. Not sure if it was to be a biography of first USCG aviator Elmer Stone, a history of events or a history of the aircraft involved. Author Workman would have done well to split this into separate projects. The end result was a big disappointment.

The Aden Effect

9781612511092 Naval Institute Press 2012

Murder, politics, seapower, Middle East instability, and intrigue in the White House are all part of this action thriller. Set against a background of modern piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the story begins as the new Ambassador to Yemen, C.J. Sumner, is assigned to negotiate access to the oil fields off the island of Socotra and enlist help countering pirates who are capturing ships at will off the Horn of Africa. Meeting with resistance to her diplomatic overtures, Sumner recruits Connor Stark, a former naval officer turned mercenary who knows the region, as her defense attaché. When Stark sets up a meeting with the owner of a Yemeni shipping company and the ruling family, the challenges begin.

Against this backdrop, diplomatic security agent Damien Golzari is investigating the death of a State Department official’s son when he stumbles on an illicit khat trade involving Somali refugees in the United States. His probe leads him to Yemen and the shipping company owned by Stark’s contact. As a result of this chance discovery, the two men are forced to become unwitting allies when they discover that their mysterious roads lead to one source.

To earn the favor of the Yemeni government, Sumner sets up a humanitarian-assistance mission to Socotra. But the Navy warship assigned to assist her is attacked by pirates. Stark assumes command and mounts a daring counterattack. Sumner negotiates a treaty to develop the oil fields and provide mutual security from the pirates, who, unknown to her, are working with other powers. In a final confrontation, Stark and Golzari must decide whether to challenge a navy and the most powerful man in the world.

A good effort at a first novel, a genre we normally do not review. But having had the privilege of once having dinner with Tom Clancy's first editor, I know USNI has shown a knack in the past of spotting good novelists. This book flows well with the only complaint being the imaginary USS Bennington, a ship so poorly run it is a bit tough to believe. With a bit more polish, hopefully the next work, from what appears to be a planned series, will not stretch credulity too far.