Flak Book review by Kevin Rickard Veitch, M. Flak: True stories from the men who flew in World War Two. Pan Macmillan Australia Pty. Ltd.: Sydney. 2006. 288pp. $32.95. The journalist author has had a lifelong interest in history, especially the aviation history of World War II. He maintains that inside the head of every […]
The fall of Berlin Book review by Fred Lane Beevor, A. (2002) Berlin: The downfall 1945. Penguin Books: London. 490 pp including index and footnotes. $35.00. Antony Beevor has done it again. On top of his excellent description of the siege of Stalingrad (Naval Officers Club Newsletter 51 pp. 23-4), he now describes in authoritative […]
The Stalingrad siege Book review by Fred Lane Beevor, A. (1998) Stalingrad. Penguin Books. 494pp, including maps, photos, index and comprehensive chapter footnotes. Paperback $35 Retired British Army officer Antony Beevor won many literary prizes and reviewer acclaim with this book. Together with Harrison Salisbury’s description of the 900-day siege of Leningrad (Salisbury 1969) and […]
The Loss of HMS Glorious Book review by John van Gelder Winton, J. (1999) Carrier Glorious: The life and death of an aircraft carrier. Cassell Military Paperbacks: London. $16.95. John Winton is a well-known author of many fiction and non-fiction books concerning the Royal Navy and naval subjects generally. In this book he has […]
No end save victory Book review by Fred Lane Cowley, R. (Ed.) No end save victory. G.P. Putnam’s Sons: New York, 2001. 688 pp. ($69.95 Dymocks to USD$16.99 Barnes and Noble paperback.) Some prefer their war histories laid out in infinite precise detail, backed up by footnotes and attributions, like Antony Beevor’s Berlin and […]
USN Fighters of WW II book review by Fred Lane Tillman B. and Lawson R.L. US Navy fighters of WW II. MBI Publishing: St Paul. 1998. Paperback 96 pp with index and photographs. US$20.00 This volume preceded the excellent US Navy WW II dive and torpedo bombers. It is an equally gripping and well-written tale […]
USN Dive and Torpedo Bombers of WW II Book review by Fred Lane Tillman B and R.L. Lawson. US Navy dive and torpedo bombers of WW II. MBI Publishing: St Paul. 2001. Paperback 128 pp with index and photographs.US$24.95. This highly interesting book, together with a companion piece, US Navy Fighters of WW II, vividly […]
Sea Power: 1788 – 1851 Book review by Fred Lane Padfield, Peter. Maritime power and the struggle for freedom: Naval campaigns that shaped the modern world 1788-1851. The Overlook Press: Woodstock, 2005. 467 pages including a comprehensive index, glossary, 16 pages of illustrations and another nine pages of maps. RRP is US$35, but unmarked used […]
Nicky Barr Book review by Fred Lane Dornan, P. Nicky Barr: An Australian air ace. Allen and Unwin: Crows Nest. 2002. Paperback 281 pp. $16 plus postage. The legendary Andrew W. (Nicky) Barr is well enough known in aircrew circles, but few non-flying Australians know much about his amazing WW II service. This book by […]
Titanic followup letters Cutaway sketch of Titanic. Note the “smoke” from number four funnel. Tom Fisher writes of the Last Log of the Titanic: book review (Newsletter 54 September 2003): The stated fuel consumption of 650 tons of coal an hour must be in error. Southhampton to New York is some 3000 miles. At 22.5 […]
