Military

Title: Strike from the Sea: U.S. Navy Attack Aircraft from Skyraider to Super Hornet, 1948-Present
Author: Tommy H. Thompson
Genre: Military, Navy
Reviewer: Hodge Wood

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1580071325

Strike from the Sea: U.S. Navy Attack Aircraft from Skyraider to Super Hornet 1948-Present celebrates carrier-based air-to-ground attack aircraft which first came into operation during the Korean War, reached maturity during Vietnam, and are deployed today throughout the world. Well-known author and naval aviation authority Tommy Thomason not only explores such legendary Navy aircraft as the A4D Skyhawk, A3J Vigilante, and A-6 Intruder, but also the critical role of the aircraft carrier itself, for without these massive nuclear-powered floating airfields, U.S. Navy attack aircraft would have no sea-borne bases from which to operate.
Armament from gravity bombs to today's GPS-guided smart weapons are covered in great detail, and this book also explains that while many different types of airplanes were required for flying attack missions in the past, only one aircraft - the advanced F/A-18E/F Super Hornet - is needed to carry out these same missions in an even more complex and hostile combat environment today.

Title: The Immeasurable Spirit: Lessons of a wounded warrior about faith and perseverance
Author: LaToya Lucas
Genre: Military, Army
Reviewer: Don Arndt

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 0615267602

The Immeasurable Spirit: Lessons of a Wounded Warrior about Faith and Perseverance, was written with the personal insight and experience of a person who has faced and overcome tremendous adversity. Latoya Lucas brings us face to face with our innerselves while simultaneously sharing her experiences of perseverance and faith even after suffering severe wounds from her service with the U.S. Army in Iraq. Why is it that some people are able to overcome their fears and persevere through life s adversities? By reading Latoya s story, you will come to understand how a person with faith and determination could rely on that faith when tested during an unbelievable hardship. In The Immeasurable Spirit, Latoya explains that we all have the capability to be resilient, especially when we reach out to God for his wisdom and strength. Latoya encourages readers to seek out the often difficult task of rehabilitating and strengthening the mind and spirit. Command Sergeant Major Terrance McWilliams, US Army Retired and Former 1st Army Division West and Fort Carson Command Sergeant Major says about The Immeasurable Spirit, "There have been many stories written about female experiences in combat, this is the first that focuses on how faith and family values persevere."

Title: The Book of War
Author: Dwight Jon Zimmerman
Genre: Non-Fiction, Reference
Reviewer: Joyce Faulkner

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): ISBN / EAN

Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers: Throughout human history, violent conflict has been a fact of life. To know the history of war is to know human history. The Book of War recounts landmark battles that shaped civilizations from 1274 B.C. up to the present day. Organized chronologically, this fascinating survey details pivotal military events from early empires through to modern warfare. It also reveals their immediate impact and importance to history. Each entry spans two pages, with concise text and stunning images for each battle. Interspersed throughout the book are essays on innovations, strategies, or leaders that have changed the way war has been waged.

Title: By Dammit, We're Marines! Veterans' Stories of the Heroism, Horror, and Humor in World War II on the Pacific Front
Author: Gail Chatfield
Genre: Non-Fiction, Anthology
Reviewer: Mike Mullins

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 097790394X

Technology changes with every war, but the universal human experience of combat remains the same. Marines and soldiers from the battlefields of Valley Forge to the streets of Fallujah understand patriotism, fear, death, loneliness, and the humor that helps them through the rough times. By Dammit, We're Marines! is a collection of eye witness accounts by 52 veterans who served on the Pacific Front during World War II. When ordered to secure another Japanese-held island, these Marines grabbed their M-1 rifles, climbed down rope ladders into the waiting landing craft, and hit the beaches. They faced not only an embedded, well-equipped enemy, but also flesh shredding coral reefs, malarial and dengue fever-ridden jungles, mosquito and crocodile-infested swamps, and a noxious moonscape sulfur island. The author's father was one of those Marines who fought on Bougainville, Guam, and Iwo Jima. He died when she was 15 and never shared his wartime stories. Wanting to learn more, Chatfield sought out veterans of those conflicts. Their stories offer a literary archeological dig of sorts into 1940's culture and technology. Body armor was a canvas shirt with a metal covered copy of the Bible in the breast pocket. Camouflage clothing was do-it-yourself burlap suits stippled with Max Factor women's make-up. Cutting edge medicine was sulfa tablets to treat infection and blood plasma shipped in glass bottles to field hospitals. Canvas hammocks stacked 8-10 high served as bunks aboard overcrowded ships. They used salt water soap for salt water baths and were issued OPA tickets, V-mail, C-rations, K-rations, and helmets that served as sinks and saucepans. Creating the safest foxhole took some ingenuity and a few discarded tank parts. Most of the veterans interviewed in this book are Marines, but war is a collaborative effort. Marines were transported by the Navy, relieved by the Army, and most of the time their job was to secure airfields for the Army Air Corps. No story of the Marines would be complete without hearing from those branches of service. Chaplains, corpsmen, sailors, soldiers, and B-29 bomb crews share their stories of serving with the Marines. These veterans offer their stores as a part of our historical record with the hope that battles like Saipan, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima will never happen again