Books – which are good?
January 2nd, 2009 From
>Date: Sun, 14 Sep 1997 17:45:30 -0600
>From: Brooks A Rowlett
>Reply-To: brooksar@indy.net
>Organization: None whatsoever
>X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01-C-MACOS8 (Macintosh; I; PPC)
>To: Tim Lanzendoerfer
>CC: consim-l@listserv.uni-c.dk, mahan@microwrks.com, marhst-l@post.queensu.ca,
> wwii-l@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu
>Subject: Re: Books – which are good?
>Precendence: bulk
>Sender: mahan-owner@microworks.net
>
>Tim Lanzendoerfer wrote:
> >
> Books – which are good?
>
> > Here we go:
> >
> > Bergerud, Eric, Touched with Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific
>
>Mr. Bergerud is on at least the Mahan list; I haven’t tried reading
>his book yet but other members of the list have praised it.
>
> > Can someone tell me the title and ISBN of Clay Blair’s The US submarine war
> > against Japan?
>
>SILENT VICTORY 1975, ISBN 0-397-00753-1. Note – in the US the
>Military Book Club published an edition in two volumes that is somewhat
>easier to obtain here than the regular Lippincott edition
>
> > Brown, David, Warship Losses of World War Two
>
>Important reference. I have the firt edition: unclear what is changed
>in the second. Ntoe that it deals with surface vessels only; a
>different book should be sought for submarine losses.
>
> > Fahey, J., Pacific War Diary, 1942 – 1945
>
>Excellent reading – I always like ‘first person accounts’.
>
> > Francillon, Rene, Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War
>
>Major, standard reference. Some minor errors on minor types. Should be
>ussed in conjunction with the Putnam Book on Japanese Aircraft to 1940-
>here’s the data from the US Naval Institute web site;
>
>JAPANESE AIRCRAFT, 1910-1941.
>By Robert Mikesh and Shorzoe Abe.
>1990. 304 pages. 375 photos. 120 line drawings. 105/8″x73/4″. ISBN:
>1-55750-563-2. List
>Price: $54.95 (USAC)
>
> > Ienaga, S., Pacific War, 1931 – 1945
>
>haven’t read it; I’m told the author has a strongly Marxist viewpoint.
>
> > Jentschura, H., Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869 – 1945
>
>Important, major reference. Note this is a translation with photos
>added, of an earlier German edition, & its update.
>
> > Lawson, R., Carrier Air War: In Original WWII Color
>
>OK, but not heavy on data
>
> > Lundstrom, J., The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from > Pearl Harbor to…(Midway)
>
>Superb. Exceedingly thorough analysis.
>
> > Lundstrom, J., The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign
>
>As above.
>
> > Potter, E., Sea Power, A Naval History
>
>Becoming seriously obsolete for WWII material; good for all periods
>pre-WWII
>
> > Prados, J., Combined Fleet Decoded
>
>Very good
>
> > Rohwer, J., Chronology of the War at Sea 1939 – 1945
>
>Superb – a major reference.
>
> > Sakai, Saburo, Samurai!
> > (WW2-L: This was written together with Martin Caidin.)
>
>No, apparently Caidin ripped off the translation of Sakai’s book and
>published it in the US without giving any royalties to Sakai. Se my
>earlier remarks about ‘first person accounts’ – but I would have liked
>this one even without that personal preference. Available in several
>cheap papaerback editions.
>
> > Spector, Ronald, Eagle against the Sun
>
>Jon Parshall who runs the Nihon Kaigun page says this is one of the best
>one volume histories: I have it but have barely skimmed it, but it seems
>at least OK.
>
> > Tillman, Barrett, Corsair: F4U in World War II and Korea
>
>Good
> > Hellcat: the F6F in World War II
>
>Good
> > Hellcat Aces of World War II
>
>Don’t have yet.
> > The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War II
>
>Good
> > Vought F4U Corsair: Warbird Tech Series
>
>Haven’t seen.
> > Wildcat: The F4F in World War II
>
>OK
> > Wildcat Aces of the Pacific
>
>Looks decent, have it but haven’t read yet
>
> > Ugaki, Matome, Fading Victory, the Diary of Admiral Matome Ugaki, > 1941 – 1945
>
>HIGHLY interesting reading.
>
> > van der Vat, Dan, The Pacific Campaign
>
>Not bad
>
> > Whitley, M.J, Cruisers of World War II
>
>Haven’t seen. I liked his Destroyers of WWII Encyclopedia book, as well
>as his books on German warships of WW2.
>
>-Brooks A Rowlett