Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Alex Kershaw’s ‘Patton’s Prayer’

The U.S. Army’s summer campaign of 1944 proved hard-fought, but successful. The Normandy landing succeeded in establishing a lodgment in mainland Europe. Read more

Book Reviews

Paul Hendrickson’s ‘Fighting the Night’

On September 20, 1944, 1st Lt. Joe Paul Hendrickson said goodbye to his wife and two small children. Read more

Book Reviews

Cdr. Hamilton McWhorter III’s ‘The First Hellcat Ace’

Georgia-born Hamilton McWhorter III wanted to be a fighter pilot. When the Pearl Harbor attack happened on December 7, 1941, he was a naval aviation cadet still in training. Read more

Book Reviews

William Swanson’s ‘The View from my Foxhole’

William Swanson described himself as an ordinary rifleman, but there was nothing ordinary about his experiences as a United States Marine in World War II. Read more

Book Reviews

Mike Gallagher’s ‘With Recce at Arnhem’

Trapped in a reserved occupation which prevented him from enlisting, Des Evans abandoned his job and ran off to join the army. Read more

Book Reviews

Andrew Biggio’s ‘The Rifle 2’

Emilio Magliacane, a second-generation Italian from Boston, joined the Marine Corps in 1942. After training he went to the Pacific, assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st marine Division. Read more

Book Reviews

Angus Konstam’s ‘The Convoy HG-76’

Convoy HG-76 departed Gibraltar for Liverpool in December 1941. The 32 ships had to make a2,000-mile voyage, braving the dangers of German U-Boats and maritime strike aircraft. Read more

Book Reviews

Don Holloway’s ‘Battle for the Island Kingdom’

By Christopher Miskimon

English King Aethelred wanted London back. He lost it in February 1014 to Svein Forkbeard, the Danish ruler. Read more

Book Reviews

John S. Harrel’s ‘Russian Invasion of Ukraine’

The battle for Antonov Airport near Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, began at 8 a.m. on February 24, 2022. Read more

Book Reviews

Chip Reid’s ‘Battle Scars’

It took the Marines of 3rd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment 22 days to get to Baghdad. The author was a journalist embedded with them. Read more

Book Reviews

Cole and Livingston’s ‘The Killing Ground’

Thermopylae is famous as the location of the battle between a force of 300 Spartans (albeit with thousands of other Greek troops present) and the invading Persian army in 480 BCE. Read more

Book Reviews

James W. Miller’s ‘King of the Gunrunners’

By the early 1890s, John D. Hart was one of the largest importers of bananas on the East Coast. Read more

Book Reviews

Wenzl and Heying’s ‘The Miracle of Father Kapaun’

Father Emil Kapaun served as a U.S. Army chaplain during the Korean War. His acts of bravery sound almost like legends. Read more

Book Reviews

James Lechner’s ‘With My Shield’

Lieutenant James Lechner, a member of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, went to Somalia in 1993 as part of a U.S. Read more

Book Reviews

Jeremy Black’s ‘Military Strategy: A Global History’

In 1861, only the lower southern states seceded at first. Once it became apparent President Lincoln intended to use force to prevent secession, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia joined the Confederacy. Read more

Book Reviews

H.W. Crocker III’s ‘Robert E. Lee on Leadership’

Though controversial today for his choice of sides during the American Civil War, Robert E. Lee was indisputably an able military leader. Read more

Book Reviews

Patton’s Persona

The meeting room was freezing cold on December 19, 1944, despite the small stove in the corner. It was in northern France during one of Europe’s coldest winters in memory. Read more

Book Reviews

The Human Face of D-Day

On D-Day, Sergeant O.B. Hill of the 82nd Airborne Division landed by parachute along the flooded banks of the Merderet River. Read more

Book Reviews

William R. Hogan’s ‘Task Force Hogan’

Sam Hogan commanded 3rd Battalion, 33rd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division in June 1944, during the Normandy campaign. Read more

Book Reviews

Rory Laverty’s ‘Aluminum Alley’

The United States carried out the world’s first long-range airlift for 42 months to keep Nationalist China in the war. Read more