Book Reviews

Title: AMARG: America's Military Aircraft Boneyard - A Photo Scrapbook
Author: Nicholas Veronico and Ron Strong
Genre: Artistic, Pictorial
Reviewer: John R. R. Faulkner

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1580071392

This country's largest military aircraft storage center began in the heady days following the end of World War II. At first only a small desert site holding bombers and transports in reserve for possible future use, it later became more of a salvage and parts recovery operation, and in many cases, a final resting place known as "the boneyard." In the 1950s and 1960s, with new wars erupting in Korea and Vietnam, certain aircraft stored in this desert center were once again in demand, and this famed storage and salvage facility in Tucson, Arizona, answered the call. Numerous photographs taken both from the air and on the ground show vistas of the 4,000 total airplanes stored at this site, while a detailed appendix gives a comprehensive listing of all the aircraft types currently at AMARG (Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group). In many cases, the numbers are quite staggering and are sure to surprise the reader.

Title: Cold War Peacemaker: The Story of Cowtown and the Convair B-36
Author: Don Pyeatt and Dennis R. Jenkins
Genre: Artistic, Pictorial
Reviewer: John R. R. Faulkner

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1580071279

Great airplanes don't simply appear in history, they evolve through a myriad of technological, political, and economic processes. In this book you will experience one of the most unlikely developments in aviation history -- the Convair B-36 very-long-range nuclear bomber. From its beginnings during the world's greatest conflict, through construction in a former wild-west cattle town, and deployment into the Cold War, the story of the Convair B-36 and how it intimidated the Soviet Union is an interesting study in politics and technology. In Cold War Peacemaker, you will experience life during the Cold War as your parents and grandparents lived it. You will meet military leaders, politicians, cowboys, tycoons -- and a cowboy tycoon -- who worked together to save the free world from communist domination. You will also see up-close the amazing technology of aviation at the beginning of the nuclear age and how it was manifested in the B-36.

Title: Lockheed Blackbird Family: A-12, YF-12, D-21/M-21 & SR-71 Photo Scrapbook
Author: Tony Landis
Genre: Artistic, Picture Book
Reviewer: Joyce Gilmour

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1580071511

Still the world's most popular and most exciting aircraft, the Lockheed family of A-12, YF-12, D-21/M-21, and SR-71 Blackbirds are to this day the highest-performance jet-powered airplanes ever flown. They have set numerous world speed and altitude records for manned aircraft powered by air-breathing engines that theoretically may never be broken. Although no longer operational, A-12s and SR-71s flew for nearly three decades at speeds in excess of Mach 3 and altitudes of up to 90,000 feet.

Expanding on the successful sales of all Specialty Press Blackbird publications is this natural extension of our product line created by compiling many never-before-published photos coupled with new declassified information recently released by the CIA, including black-and-white and color photos of A-12 cockpits, early camera installations, and never-before-seen special camouflage schemes.

Title: She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood
Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Magdelena Ball
Genre: Poetry, Book of Poetry
Reviewer: David Tschanz

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1438263791

"[Both] poets continue to write poems that don't sound either like banal Hallmark cards or the bitter-at-dysfunctional-family jeremiads that habitually torture MFA writing workshop participants."
~Kristin Johnson, screenwriter and founder of the Warrior Poets Project

She Wore Emerald Then is collaboration on the subject of motherhood by award-winning poets Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson, both of them mothers and daughters. They worked together on a book of love poetry called Cherished Pulse to the acclaim of reviewers. She Wore Emerald Then is available as both an e-chapbook and paperback and is illustrated with tender photographs by May Lattanzio. As it happens, it was released the week of death of Carolyn's mother--a fitting tribute.

Title: Twisted Tongues
Author: Ruth Naphas Gerhardt & jim greenwald
Genre: Poetry, Book of Poetry
Reviewer: Joyce Gilmour

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1451233191

The Twisted Tongues collection of "historical" poetry brings together two dynamic poets: Ruth Naphas Gerhardt (With Pen & Feather) and jim greenwald (Mitakuye Oyasin, and Tears for Mother Earth).

History unfortunately is written by the conqueror and therefore lacks the balance of truth one should expect in an accurate historical accounting. This collection presents facts, not fiction, of events that have taken place in this land that is now called the United States of America. In the "settlers" quest" for what was not available to them in their homelands, they set out to take from those who were the original inhabitants of this land. The result of this greed was hundreds of wars, multitudes of lies, and the committing of atrocities whose repercussions still resound today.

The writings within are not intended as complete history, but rather something to whet your curiosity enough to investigate on your own. Do so at your own peril as the truth can and will torture one's mind as it relates to beliefs held close as a result of the Declaration and Constitution. It should be embarrassing enough just to relate this one simple fact: out of the five-hundred plus treaties signed by Native Americans with the government of the U.S.A., the government cannot point to one it has honored.

The Supreme Court record, based on percentages of rulings against Native Americans is appalling. Rarely has any governmental body utilized archaic law with such contempt and disregard for fairness, equality, and reason. The court in one flagrant abuse of its powers used "latches" as an "excuse" to void the claims of land made by the Oneida. "Latches" literally means "they waited too long!" In Sherill (NY) v. Oneida, it was the lone deciding factor to toss out a legitimate claim to land that had, beyond a doubt, been stolen from the Oneida by the state of New York. Not one ounce of reality or consideration was given to the fact that by oppression in many of its forms the Oneida were not capable of mounting a sustained legal fight for what is rightfully theirs. That is why they lost their land.

We hope you enjoy this collection and are stirred to investigate on your own what really happened and still goes on today. Set aside all your hard learned theories and beliefs taught to you by "Hollywood." This is real!