Since President John F. Kennedy was closer to my times it was natural that I read many books about him. He was, for many of us, a childhood hero and I still remember November 22, 1963 and the newspapers headlines that day. However, for many of a previous generation, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the first and only President of the United States to hold office for an unprecedented four terms, from 1933 till he passed away in 1945, was the ultimate Democrat leader. I had of course heard about FDR especially his term of office during the Second World War, but not knowing too much about his early days, it was with considerable interest that I read, ” Franklin D. Roosevelt: Road To The New Deal” by Roger Daniels, Charles Phelps Taft Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Cincinnati, published by the University of Illinois Press. Continue reading ““Franklin D. Roosevelt: Road To The New Deal” by Roger Daniels”
Month: October 2015
I hadn’t read any books by Louis Charbonneau before this and I must confess I enjoyed reading, “Stalk.” The story line was rather predictable and the good guys had to win at the end but I liked his writing style and the fast pace he maintained all through the book.
Robert Forczyk has written extensively on the Second World War, especially about the battles between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. “Where The Iron Crosses Grow” which I completed some time ago but could not review earlier due to my ill-health is a detailed account of the battles for the Crimea spread over the period 1941 to 1944. I find that Dr. Forczyk has a Ph.D in International Relations and National Security from the University of Maryland and this brings to bear a meticulous mind in researching and presenting material in his book.
Continue reading ““Where The Iron Crosses Grow: The Crimea, 1941-44” by Robert Forczyk”
As an avid fan of military history, I have read books about the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, but here comes a first, for me at any rate, a book about the more contemporary war being waged by United States troops against the Taliban in Afghanistan. “The Reaper” (published by St. Martin’s Press) is the story told in the first person of Special Operations Direct Action Sniper, Nicholas Irving, who landed in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan with the Third Ranger Battalion in 2009.
Continue reading ““The Reaper” by Nicholas Irving with Gary Brozek”
Nearly 200 illustrations of squadron logos and of fighter planes embellish Tillman’s book on the famous fighter squadrons of the United States Marine Corps during the Second World War. Most of their fighting was against the Japanese in the Pacific. The Pacific War, it is said, was the largest naval conflict in history. Names like Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima have passed into history as have the Battles for Midway, the Coral Sea and Guam. Likewise, some of the US Marine Corps fighter pilots have become legends: Major Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, Lt Col Harold “Indian Joe” Bauer, Capt Joseph J. Foss, Major John L. Smith, and Capt Marion E. Carl, but to name a few.
Continue reading ““US Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II” by Barrett Tillman”
Prem Rao : Stories from a Story Teller 