MBR: The Military Shelf

The Military Shelf

War Wings
Phillips W. Stewart
PMS Press
PO Box 1496, Crestview, FL 32536
9780979324345, $24.95, www (dot) pmspress (dot) com

A truly unique work of seminal research, "War Wings: A Guide To The
World War I Aviation Documentary Motion Pictures held In The U.S.
National Archives" is an impressive contribution to Military Studies;
Aviation Studies; and Motion Picture History Studies reference
collections. A member of the American Aviation Historical Society, the
League of World War I Aviation Historians; and the Military Writers
Society of America; Phil Stewart has applied his considerable research
skills to amass a body of information with respect to identifying and
listing more than 2,5000 individual sciences of filmed aerial action
that took place in the skies of the European theatre during World War
I as military aircraft evolved from crude observation platforms to
attack vehicles for airborne as well as land-based targets.
Additionally, hundreds of other filmed action scenes are summarized
for the benefit of the reader. The state of movie making technology
was one of using cumbersome wooden boxes with crude brass-encased
glass lenses, metal hand cranks, and ungainly tripods. The results
were to range from the mundane to the spectacular. There are scenes of
pilot training, airplane manufacturing, and post-Armistice testing of
enemy planes. The time frame involved ranges from 1917 to 1919. "War
Wings" must be considered as an indispensable resource for scholars,
aviation history enthusiasts, World War I buffs, and students of the
history of motion picture technology. With an informed and informative
listing of historical film footage arranged in chapters focusing on
the training of airmen, the building of the planes, transporting
aircraft to the European theatre of war, the A.E.F. over France; other
combatant (including German aviators), and a roster of 'The B List
films', academic librarians and museum curators should consider "War
Wings" as a core addition to their reference collections.

The Mesopotamia Mess
Jack Bernstein
InterLingua Publishing
423 S. Pacific Coast Hwy, #208, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
9781602990173, $14.99, www (dot) themesopotamiamess (dot) com

The American involvement in Iraq has rightfully been described as a
huge mess of epic proportions by the press on this side of the world.
"The Mesopotamia Mess: The British Invasion of Iraq in 1914" is an
examination of how complicated messes for liberating forces going into
Iraq is nothing new - and how the Americans have learned just about
nothing making the move into Iraq from their allied British invader's
history. Stating point by point every lesson that should have been
picked up by the Americans before diving into the mess of Iraq, it's a
somewhat saddening story of history repeating itself. "The Mesopotamia
Mess: The British Invasion of Iraq in 1914" is highly recommended for
anyone who desires a better understanding of the present through the
past, and for community library military collections.

A General's Spiritual Journey
Lt. Gen Hal Moore (Ret.)
Wild Goose Ministries
c/o The B&B Media Group, Inc. (publicity)
109 South Main Street Corsicana, TX 75110
9780615178714, $10.95, www (dot) tbbmedia (dot) com

Co-Author of the New York Times #1 Best Seller "We Were Soldiers
Once...and Young" is more into the life of Lieutenant General Hal
Moore, as told and observed by his faithful driver. "A General's
Spiritual Journey" is his life story, covering his eventful life from
emerging from West Point, miraculously surviving both the Korean and
Vietnam wars, alongside keeping inside him what always mattered the
most to him - his holy relationship with God. "A General's Spiritual
Journey" is a deftly written and intriguing biography, highly
recommended for community library biography collections with a
crossover to Christian and Military interest groups.

Who Dares Wins: Special Forces Heroes of the SAS
Pete Scholey
Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South, Suite 806, New York NY 10016
9781846033117, $24.95 www (dot) ospreypublishing (dot) com

The history of Britain's SAS provides fine stories in a new memoir of
a 20-year SAS veteran who served in some of the world's most dangerous
areas from 1963-83. His memory recounts remarkable soldiers, missions,
and many names of those who have died in obscurity, unheralded for
their bravery and achievements. Any military history library will find
this survey of SAS heroes to be both inviting and absorbing.

PSI Spies
Jim Marrs
New Page Books
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564149609, $15.99 www (dot) newpagebooks (dot) com

PSI SPIES; THE TRUE STORY OF AMERICA'S PSYCHIC WARFARE PROGRAM
provides a gripping account of military psychic soldiers - the Army's
formerly top-secret remote viewing unit which has been used as a tool
and a weapon. This unit was developed in the 1970s as a spy adjunct of
the Army: these psychic spies gained knowledge on a range of topics,
including a Soviet plot to kill President Ronald Reagan. Included in
the expose are tips on how to 'remote view' on your own, making this a
pick not just for military collections, but for general-interest
lending libraries.

Steeds of Steel
Harry Yeide
Zenith Books
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 Fist Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760333600, $27.95 www (dot) quaysidepublishinggroup (dot) com

STEEDS OF STEEL: A HISTORY OF AMERICAN MECHANIZED CAVALRY IN WORLD WAR
II provides an in-depth review of the 1941 new 'mechanized cavalrymen'
whose role would change the modern battlefield's approach. Such
cavalrymen fought in tanks, armored cars and jeeps: after-action
reports, combat records, personal recollections and more are compiled
to reveal how these troops operated and why their actions were
revolutionary.

Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South Suite 806, New York NY 10016
www (dot) ospreypublishing (dot) com

Christopher Gravett's KNIGHT: NOBLE WARRIOR OF ENGLAND 1200-1600
(9781846033421, $25.95) examines the figure and actions of the knight
in medieval times, surveying his development, social standing,
training and battles in great details. While any library strong in
college-level medieval history needs this, it's also the military
history collection that will benefit from its thorough review,
accompanied by original color art and modern photography of armor .
Very highly recommended indeed. New additions to Osprey's 'Campaign'
series are excellent picks for military libraries, each offering
surveys of selected early battles. David Smith's NEW YORK 1776: THE
CONTINENTALS' FIRST BATTLE (9781846032851, $19.95) details the
strategies, tactics and battle experiences of opposing forces during
the 1776 campaign, Steven J. Zaloga's LIBERATION OF PARIS 1944:
PATTON'S RACE FOR THE SEINE (9781846032462, $19.95) recounts the
Operation Cobra battle that sent the Allies across France with plans
to liberate the notoriously difficult Paris, and Ian Castle's LONDON
19147-17: THE ZEPPELIN MENACE (9781846032455, $19.95) reveals the
Zeppelin raids on London which fostered a new kind of warfare and
German successes. Two additions to the 'Fortress' series are Stephen
Turnbull's JAPANESE CASTLES AD 250-1540 (9782846032530, $18.95)
surveying ancient Japanese fortifications which produced distinctive
styles of architecture, and Nic Fields' THE WALLS OF ROME
(9781846031984, $18.95), surveying the design and development of
ancient Rome. Both perfect for early military and architectural
history holdings. Two new 'Duel' additions include Jon Guttman's
SOPWITH CAMEL VS. FOKKER DR 1: WESTERN FRONT 1917-18 (9781846032936,
$17.95), contrasting two aircraft during World War I noted for their
dogfight capabilities, and Carl Molesworth's P-40 WARHAWK VS. KI-43
OSCAR: CHINA 1944-45 (9781846032950, $17.95), following the evolution
of the World War II fighters, from their design to their new fighting
strategies. New 'Warrior' series titles are Gregory Fremont-Barnes'
AMERICAN BOMBER CREWMAN 1941-45 (9782846031250, $18.95), covering the
lives and achievements of the American Bomber Crewmen of the USAF and
the physical and psychological requirements for their duty, and Ed
Gilbert's NATIVE AMERICAN CODE TALKER IN WORLD WAR II (9781846032691,
$18.95), using personal interviews with veteran code talkers to tell
of their use during World Wars 1 and II. Paddy Griffith's WORLD WAR II
DESERT TACTICS (9781846032905, $18.95) explains the tactical
challenges faced by Allied and Axes forces battling in North Africa's
deserts. From strengths to weaknesses and special challenges on both
sides, it packs in plenty of military insights on battle strategy.
Gordon L. Rottman's THE US ARMY IN THE VIETNAM WAR 1965-73
(9781846032394, $25.95) provides details on how US Army units operated
during the war and comes from a Special Forces veteran who focuses on
infantry strategies and units which supported them. Andrew Thomas'
GRIFFON SPITFIRE ACES (9781846032981, $22.95) follows the Spitfire's
various upgrades and developments and its subsequent effects on aerial
battles and strategies, while Oleg Rostrenin's II-2 SHTURMOVIK GUARDS
UNITS OF WORLD WAR 2 (9781846032967, $22.95) follows a plane commonly
considered the 'best attack aircraft of World War 2. All are picks
military libraries will find comprehensive and detailed.

The Apathetic and The Defiant
Craig Leslie Mantle (editor)
Canadian Defense Academy Press
PO Box 170000 Station Forces, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7K 7B4
9781550027105, $49.95, www (dot) dundurn (dot) com

No army is full of perfectly behaved, virtuous, bastions of chivalry,
and the oft-forgotten Canadian military is no different. "The
Apathetic and The Defiant: Case Studies of Canadian Mutiny and
Disobedience, 1812-1919" is a comprehensive guide of all reported
occurrences of Canadian military wrong doing from the War of 1812 to
the tail end of World War I, where there triumphs and victories had
pushed these black sheep into the background. "The Apathetic and The
Defiant: Case Studies of Canadian Mutiny and Disobedience, 1812-1919"
is highly recommended to community library military history
collections.

Your Military Family Network
The Military Family Network
Capital Books, Inc.
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166
9781933102351, $24.95 www (dot) capital-books (dot) com 1-800-758-3756

Thousands of soldiers on the reserve list are torn away from their
families and friends back home. "Your Military Family Network: Your
Connection to Military friendly Resources, Benefits, Information,
Businesses and Advice" speaks of a community of experts and
professionals who are there to keep soldiers in touch with the world
back home they had left behind. Inside are suggestions for building
your own personal and community support network, instructions on
military moving, resources for everything medical, guidance on legal
rights, living in military, support for parents, guidelines to stay
fit, and state by state specific support for soldiers. "Your Military
Family Network: Your Connection to Military Friendly Resources,
Benefits, Information, Businesses, and Advice" is highly recommended
for any soldier on the reserve list hoping to keep in touch and be
prepared for if they are called upon in these tough times, and for
community library military collections.

Osprey Publishing
400 Hahn Road, Westminster, MD 21157
www (dot) ospreypublishing (dot) com

Ronald Pawly's NAPOLEON'S MOUNTED CHASSEURS OF THE IMPERIAL GUARD
(9781845032578, $17.95) adds to the 'Men-at-Arms' series in focusing
on the uniforms and history of the world's military forces. This
survey of the Guard cavalry unit associated with Napoleon provides
text researched from the original regimental records and writings, and
offers early paintings and drawings plus color plates of uniforms to
spice results. Steven J. Zaloga's ARMORED TRAINS (9781846032424,
$17.95) adds to the 'New Vanguard' series covering the design and
history of machinery of warfare through the ages, this focusing on
armored trains first seen during the American Civil War and later
moving to World War I and beyond. Technical detail offers insights on
how these trains were used in combat, pairing color artwork and
illustrations with vintage black and white photos for added impact. W.
Sarnecki and D. Nicolle's MEDIEVAL POLISH ARMIES 966-1500
(9781846030147, $17.95) is for any collection strong in early military
history and covers the uniforms, equipment and strategies of early
Medieval Polish armies. Early paintings, photos and drawings spice a
review by a medieval specialist illustrator and two author
researchers. Konstantin S. Nossov's HITTITE FORTIFICATIONS C. 1650-700
BC (9781846032073, $18.95) is also for the early military library,
covering small fortified city-states and their fortresses. Alejandro
de Quesada's THE US HOME FRONT 1941-45 (9781846032080, $18.95) is for
any specialty World War II collection, covering the organizations and
efforts at work in the home front of the war effort. David Fletcher's
SHERMAN FIREFLY (9781846032776, $17.95) reveals one of the most
powerful tanks used by Allies during World War II, while Gordon L.
Rottman's THE BERLIN WALL AND THE INTRA-GERMAN BORDER 1961-89
(9781846031939, $18.95) surveys the rise and fall of the border
between East and West Germany, and how it operated. David Nicolle's
POITIERS AD 732 (9781846032301, $19.95) surveys early Islamic forces
in Europe and the battle of Poitiers, where Christian forces
confronted a large invading Islamic army and were victorious. Simon
Miller's VIENNA 1683: CHRISTIAN EUROPE REPELS THE OTTOMANS
(9781846032318, $19.95) tells of a Sultan's assault on the capital of
the Holy Roman Empire, charting a campaign which marked the beginning
of the end of the Ottoman empire in Europe. Tony Holmes' F-14 TOMCAR
UNITS OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (9781846032059, $22.95) joins
others in Osprey's 'Combat Aircraft 70' series, discussing the F-14
Tomcat fighter and its role in military combat. Specialty military
libraries will find them fine acquisitions.

A Throughly Canadian General
Paul Douglas Dickson
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, ON, M4Y 2W8
9780802008022, $55.00, www (dot) utpress.utoronto.ca

General H.D.G. Crerar is one of Canada's greatest military heroes of
the twentieth century, and sadly too often overlooked as a choice for
military autobiography reading lists. "A Thoroughly Canadian General:
A Biography of H.D.G. Crerar" is the story of this underrated figure
in twentieth century military history. The controversial general is
examined in and out through this history, including his views on using
the Canadian military as a symbol of the Canadian identity and it's
civic responsibility, and the role of the Canadian military on the
world stage. Highly recommended for Canadian military historians, and
community library military history shelves in general.

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