By Christopher Miskimon

Full Reviews

Battle for the Island Kingdom: England’s Destiny 1000–1066 (Don Holloway, Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2023, 432 pp., photographs, bibliography, index, $30, HC)

The Russian Invasion of Ukraine February-December 2022: Destroying the Myth of Russian Invincibility (John S. Harrel, Maj. Gen. U.S. Ret’d, Pen and Sword Books, South Yorkshire UK, 2023, maps, photographs, notes, bibliography, index, $36.95, HC)

Battle Scars Twenty Years Later: 3D Battalion 5th Marines Looks Back at the Iraq War and how it Changed their Lives War (Chip Reid, Casemate Books, Havertown PA, 2023, 256 pp., photographs, index, $34.95, HC)

The Killing Ground: A Biography of Thermopylae (Myke Cole and Michael Livingston, Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2023, maps, photographs, notes, bibliography, index, $35, HC)

King of the Gunrunners: How a Philadelphia Fruit Importer Inspired a Revolution and Provoked the Spanish-American War (James W. Miller, University Press of Mississippi, Jackson MI, 2024, 277 pp., photographs, notes, bibliography, index, $35, HC)

The Miracle of Father Kapaun: Priest, Soldier and Korean War Hero (Roy Wenzl and Travis Heying, Ignatius Press, San Francisco CA, 2013, 160 pp., photographs, appendices, bibliography, index, $17.95, SC)

With My Shield: The Experiences of an Army Ranger in Somalia (James Lechner, Osprey Publishing, Oxford UK, 2023, maps, photographs, notes, bibliography, index, $32, HC)

Military Strategy: A Global History (Jeremy Black, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2023, 306 pp., notes, bibliography, index, $24, SC)

Robert E. Lee on Leadership (H.W. Crocker III, Regnery History, Washington DC, 2023, 256 pp., bibliography, index, $17.99, SC)

Short Burts

U.S. Naval Aviation 1945–2003 (Leo Marriott, Pen and Sword Books, 2023, $22.95, SC) Part of the publisher’s Images of War series, this book contains hundreds of photographs of naval aircraft in action.

British Coastal Forces (Norman Friedman, Seaforth Publishing, 2023, $100, HC) The Royal Navy operated a plethora of small coastal attack craft and other specialized vessels. This well-illustrated book covers them in great detail.

Only the Light Moves: Flying Covert Reconnaissance Missions in the Vietnam War (Francis Doherty, Air World Books, 2023, $32.95, HC) Memoir of covert missions for the famed Studies and Observations Group during the Vietnam War.

The Blackhorse in Vietnam: The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam and Cambodia, 1966 – 1972 (Donald Snedeker, Casemate Books, 2023, $24.95, SC) The story of one of America’s most famous units in the Vietnam War from the unit associations’ official historian.

Duty to Serve, Duty to Conscience: The Story of Two Conscientious Objector Combat Medics during the Vietnam War (James G. Keraney and William H. Clamurro, University of North Texas Press, 2023, $34.95, HC) This is one of the few memoirs by legal conscientious objectors from the Vietnam War. Both served as medics in accordance with their beliefs while still fulfilling their patriotic obligations.

Afghan Wheels and Tracks: UK and U.S. Vehicles (Craig Allen, Key Books, 2023, $24.95, SC) The two nations used various types of vehicles for the challenging terrain of Afghanistan. This book gives both design details and numerous illustrations.

German High Seas Fleet 1914 – 1918: The Kaiser’s Challenge to the Royal Navy (Angus Konstam, Osprey Books, 2023, $23, SC) Germany built its fleet to face the Royal Navy. This book gives extensive background on that fleet and how it fared against its opponent.

British Light Infantryman versus Patriot Rifleman: Americna Revolution 1775–1783 (Robbie MacNiven, Osprey Books, 2023, $23, SC) These specialist formations were among the best troops on each side during the conflict. This work compares their preparation and experience against each other in combat.

The Battle of Gettysburg 1863 (2) The Second Day (Timothy J. Orr, Osprey Books, 2023, $25, SC) The second day of Gettysburg proved the bloodiest and most difficult. The action was wide-ranging, involving the bulk of both armies.

War In Ukraine, Volume 3: Armed Formations of the Luhansk People’s Republic 2014–2022 (Edward Crowther, Helion Books, 2023, $29.95, SC) Luhansk is one of the separatist enclaves in Eastern Ukraine. This work explains its armed forces since it broke away.

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