The Military Shelf

Taking Berlin: The Bloody Race to Defeat the Third Reich
Martin Dugard
Caliber Dutton
c/o Penguin Group USA
https://www.penguin.com
9780593187425, $30.00, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Berlin-Bloody-Defeat-Third/dp/0593187423

Synopsis: Fall, 1944. Paris has been liberated, saved from destruction, but=
this diversion on the road to Berlin has given the Germans time to regroup=
.. The American and British armies press on from the west, facing the enemy = time and again in the Hurtgen Forest, during the Market-Garden invasion, an=
d at the Battle of the Bulge, all while American general George Patton and = British field marshal Bernard Montgomery vie for supremacy as the Allies' t=
op battlefield commander.

Meanwhile, the Soviets begin to squeeze Hitler's crumbling Reich from the e= ast. Led by Generals Zhukov and Konev, the Red Army launches millions of so= ldiers, backed by tanks, artillery, and warplanes, against the Germans, lea= ving death and scorched earth in their wake, pushing the Wehrmacht back tow= ard their fatherland. As both the Anglo-American alliance and the Soviets s=
et their sights on claiming the capital city of Nazi Germany, Churchill see=
ks to ensure Britain's place in a new world divided by Roosevelt's America = and Stalin's Soviet Union.

With the publication of "Taking Berlin: The Bloody Race to Defeat the Third=
Reich" and featuring a sweeping cast of historical figures, author and his= torian Martin Dugard reveals a pulse-pounding race into the final, desperat=
e months of the Second World War and toward the fiery destruction of the Th= ousand-Year-Reich -- chronicling a moment in history when allies became adv= ersaries.

Critique: Enhanced for scholars with a twelve page Index, and engendering a=
ll the compulsive fascination of a finely crafted novel for the non-special= ist general reader, "Taking Berlin: The Bloody Race to Defeat the Third Rei= ch" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, pro= fessional, community, college, and university library World War II military=
history collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and milita=
ry history buffs that "Taking Berlin" is also available in a digital book f= ormat (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Martin Dugard began writing professionally in 1988. Bored b=
y an unfulfilling corporate marketing job, he began writing articles for en= durance sports magazines such as Competitor and Runner's World in the morni= ngs and on weekends. In 1993, inspired after covering the Raid Gauloises ad= venture race in Madagascar, Dugard left the corporate world to pursue a ful= l-time writing career. Now he is the author of several books of history, am= ong them the Killing series, "Into Africa", and "The Explorers". https://en= ..wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Dugard_(author)

Information in War
Benjamin M. Jensen, author
Christopher Whyte, author
Scott Cuomo, author
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647122638, $149.95, HC, 266pp

https://www.amazon.com/Information-War-Innovation-Artificial-Intelligence/d= p/1647122635

Synopsis: In the coming decades, artificial intelligence (AI) could revolut= ionize the way humans wage war. The military organizations that best innova=
te and adapt to this AI revolution will likely gain significant advantages = over their rivals. To this end, great powers such as the United States, Chi= na, and Russia are already investing in novel sensing, reasoning, and learn= ing technologies that will alter how militaries plan and fight. The resulti=
ng transformation could fundamentally change the character of war.

With the publication of "Information in War: Military Innovation, Battle Ne= tworks, and the Future of Artificial Intelligence, the team of Benjamin Jen= sen, Christopher Whyte, and Scott Cuomo provide a deeper understanding of t=
he AI revolution by exploring the relationship between information, organiz= ational dynamics, and military power. The authors analyze how militaries ad= just to new information communication technology historically to identify o= pportunities, risks, and obstacles that will almost certainly confront mode=
rn defense organizations as they pursue AI pathways to the future. Informat= ion in War builds on these historical cases to frame four alternative futur=
e scenarios exploring what the AI revolution could look like in the US mili= tary by 2040.

Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of illustr= ations, a twenty-two page Bibliography, and an eight page Index, "Informati=
on in War: Military Innovation, Battle Networks, and the Future of Artifici=
al Intelligence" must be considered essential reading for anyone with an in= terest in the subject of artificial intelligence and its impact on military=
science and history, military intelligence and espionage. Exceptionally we=
ll organized and presented, informed and informative, "Information in War: = Military Innovation, Battle Networks, and the Future of Artificial Intellig= ence" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to pe= rsonal, professional, community, and academic Contemporary Military Studies=
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted = for the personal reading lists of students, academia, governmental policy m= akers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject t= hat "Information in War: Military Innovation, Battle Networks, and the Futu=
re of Artificial Intelligence" is available in a paperback edition (9781647= 122645, $49.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.49).

Editorial Note #1: Benjamin M. Jensen (https://www.benjaminmjensen.com) is =
a professor at the Marine Corps University's School of Advanced Warfighting=
, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, an=
d an officer in the US Army Reserves with multiple deployments.

Editorial Note #2: Christopher Whyte is an assistant professor at the Wilde=
r School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth Universi= ty. (https://wilder.vcu.edu/people/faculty/christopher-whyte-.html)

Editorial Note #3: Lt. Col. Scott Cuomo (USMC) is a veteran of the wars in = Iraq and Afghanistan, served as the Marine Corps representative on the Nati= onal Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, and is currently assig= ned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy focused on Strateg=
y and Force Development. (https://www.usni.org/people/scott-cuomo)

Without Honor: Defeat in Vietnam and Cambodia, second edition
Arnold R. Isaacs
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476686356, $49.95, PB, 446pp

https://www.amazon.com/Without-Honor-Vietnam-Cambodia-Updated/dp/1476686351

Synopsis: Originally published in 1983 and now release in a newly updated s= econd edition, "Without Honor: Defeat in Vietnam and Cambodia" by journalis=
t Arnold R. Isaacs provides a detailed review of the end of the Vietnam War=
..

Drawing on the author's eyewitness reporting and extensive research, this n=
ew edition of "Without Honor: Defeat in Vietnam and Cambodia" relies on car= efully reported facts, not partisan myths, to reconstruct the war's last ye= ars and harrowing final months. The catastrophic suffering those events bro= ught to ordinary Vietnamese civilians and soldiers is vividly portrayed.

The largely unremembered wars in Cambodia and Laos are examined as well, wh= ile new material in an updated final chapter points out troubling parallels=
between the Vietnam War and America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Critique: A simply fascinating and impressively informative read, "Without = Honor: Defeat in Vietnam and Cambodia" will have a very special appeal to r= eaders with an interest in the history of America's military and political = involvement in the Vietnam War. While highly recommended for both community=
and academic library collections, it should be noted for the personal read= ing lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that th=
is a significantly updated edition has a special relevance today given the = American military and political involvement with Afghanistan and now Ukrain=
e.

Editorial Note: Arnold R. Isaacs (https://dartcenter.org/bio/arnold-r-isaac=
s) is a freelance writer and educator. He reported on the closing years of = the Vietnam war during six years in Asia as a correspondent for the Baltimo=
re Sun. Following his career in daily journalism, he continued to travel wi= dely as a teacher and international journalism trainer.

To Save An Army: The Stalingrad Airlift
Robert Forsyth
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472845412, $35.00, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Save-Army-Stalingrad-Airlift/dp/1472845412

Synopsis: Using the diaries of Luftwaffe commanders, rare contemporary phot= ographs and other previously unpublished sources, with the publication of "=
To Save An Army: The Stalingrad Airlift" military historian Robert Forsyth = analyzes the human, strategic, tactical and technical elements of one of th=
e most dramatic operations arranged by the Luftwaffe.

Stalingrad ranks as one of the most infamous, savage and emotive battles of=
the 20th century. It has consumed military historians since the 1950s and = has inspired many books and much debate. "To Save An Army" tells the story =
of the operation mounted by the Luftwaffe to supply, by airlift, the trappe=
d and exhausted German Sixth Army at Stalingrad in the winter of 1942/43. T=
he weather conditions faced by the flying crews, mechanics, and soldiers on=
the ground were appalling, but against all odds, and a resurgent and activ=
e Soviet air force, the transports maintained a determined presence over th=
e ravaged city on the Volga, even when the last airfields in the Stalingrad=
pocket had been lost.

Yet, even the daily figure of 300 tons of supplies, needed by Sixth Army ju=
st to subsist, proved over-ambitious for the Luftwaffe which battled agains=
t a lack of transport capacity, worsening serviceability, and increasing lo= sses in badly needed aircraft.

Critique: Once again Robert Forsyth has contributed another deftly research= ed, exceptionally well written, organized and presented study that is unres= erved recommended to personal, professional, community, and academic librar=
y World War II History collections and supplemental curriculum studies list=
s. Informatively enhanced with the inclusion of illustrations, maps, a Glos= sary, a Table of Ranks, four Appendices, a Bibliography, twenty-seven pages=
of Notes, and an extensive Index, it should be noted for students, academi=
a, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that = "To Save An Army: The Stalingrad Airlift" is also available in a digital bo=
ok format (Kindle, $14.46).

Editorial Note: Robert Forsyth (https://ospreypublishing.com/us/author/robe= rt-forsyth) is an author, editor and publisher, specializing in military av= iation and military history. He is the author of over 25 titles for Osprey = Publishing, on the aircraft, units and operations of the Luftwaffe, includi=
ng Luftwaffe Special Weapons 1942-45 and DUEL 97 Tempest V vs Fw 190D-9: 19= 44-45.

Dunkirchen 1940: The German View of Dunkirk
Robert Kershaw
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472854377, $30.00, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/D%C3%BCnkirchen-1940-German-View-Dunkirk/dp/14728543=
73

Synopsis: The British evacuation from the beaches of the small French port = town of Dunkirk is one of the iconic moments of World War II military histo= ry. The battle has captured the popular imagination through LIFE magazine p= hoto spreads, the fiction of Ian McEwan and, of course, Christopher Nolan's=
hugely successful Hollywood blockbuster movie.

But what is the German view of this stunning Allied escape? Drawing on Germ=
an interviews, diaries and unit post-action reports, with the publication o=
f "Dunkirchen 1940: The German View of Dunkirk", historian Robert Kershaw c= reates an iconoclastic history of a battle that we thought we knew.

"Dunkirchen 1940" is the first major history on what went wrong for the Ger= mans at Dunkirk -- from the German perspective. As supreme military command= er, Hitler had seemingly achieved a miracle after the swift capitulation of=
Holland and Belgium, but with just seven kilometres before the panzers cap= tured Dunkirk (the only port through which the trapped British Expeditionar=
y force might escape) they came to a shuddering stop. Hitler had lost contr=
ol of his stunning advance. Only a this detailed interpretation of the Germ=
an perspective (historically lacking to date) can provide answers as to why=
..

Drawing on his own military experience, his German language skills, and his=
historian's eye for detail, Robert Kershaw creates a new history of this f= amiliar battle. With a fresh angle on this famous conflict, "Dunkirchen 194=
0" delves into the under-evaluated major German miscalculation both strateg= ically and tactically that arguably cost Hitler the war.

Critique: Simply stated, no World War II European Theatre history collectio=
ns can be considered comprehensive or up-to- date without the inclusion of = Robert Kershaw's "Dunkirchen 1940: The German View of Dunkirk". Featuring a=
n impressive insert of black/white historical photographs, illustrations, m= aps, sixteen pages of Notes, a six page Bibliography, and a nine page Index=
, "Dunkirchen 1940: The German View of Dunkirk" is also available in a digi= tal book format (Kindle, $12.60) and unreservedly recommended for personal,=
professional, community, and academic library World War II Military Histor=
y & Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Robert Kershaw (https://robertjkershaw.com) joined the Para= chute Regiment in 1973. He served numerous regimental appointments until se= lected to command the 10th Battalion the Parachute Regiment (10 PARA). He a= ttended the German Staff College spending a further two years with the Bund= eswehr as an infantry, airborne and arctic warfare instructor. His active s= ervice includes several tours in Northern Ireland, the First Gulf War and B= osnia. He has exercised in many parts of the world and served in the Middle=
East and Africa. His final army appointment was with the Intelligence Divi= sion at HQ NATO in Brussels Belgium. On leaving the British Army in 2006 he=
became a full-time author of military history as well as a consultant mili= tary analyst. He has recorded for BBC radio and interviewed on numerous TV = documentaries including Dutch TV and National Geographic, and published fre= quent magazine and newspaper articles including The Times, The Sunday Times=
, Sunday Telegraph and Daily Telegraph.

Eastern Front Sniper: The Life of Matthaus Hetzenauer
Roland Kaltenegger, author
Introduction by Martin Pegler
Greenhill Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781784382162, $32.95, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Eastern-Front-Sniper-Hetzenauer-Greenhill/dp/1784382= 167

Synopsis: Mathaus Hetzenauer, the son of a Tyrolean peasant family, was bor=
n in December 1924. He was drafted into the Mountain Reserve Battalian 140 =
at the age of 18 but discharged five month's later.

He received a new draft notice in January 1943 for a post in the Styrian Tr= uppenubungsplatz Seetal Alps where he met some of the best German snipers a=
nd learned his art. Hetzenauer went on to fight in Romania, Eastern Hungary=
and in Slovakia. As recognition for his more than 300 confirmed kills he w=
as awarded on the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on April 17, 1945.

After nearly five years of Soviet captivity Mathaus Hetzenauer returned to = Austria on January 10, 1950. He lived in the Tyrol's Brixen Valley until hi=
s death on 3 October of 2004.

Critique: A fascinating and informative military biography, "Eastern Front = Sniper: The Life of Matthaus Hetzenauer" by the team of military historians=
Roland Kaltenegger and Martin Pegler is a comprehensive biography of one o=
f Germany's most accomplished snipers on the Eastern Front in the dark days=
of World War II. Ably translated into English by Geoffrey Brooks, "Eastern=
Front Sniper: The Life of Matthaus Hetzenauer" is a singular and riveting = read from first page to last. While also available in a paperback edition (= 9781784387945, $22.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99), "Easte=
rn Front Sniper: The Life of Matthaus Hetzenauer" is unreservedly recommend=
ed for personal, professional, community, and academic library World War II=
History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Roland Kaltenegger is the author of more than ten books =
on World War II including The Mountain Troops Of the Waffen-SS 1941-1945 an=
d Weapons and Equipment Of the German Mountain Troops In World War II.

Editorial Note: Martin Pegler is a well-known military historian and writer=
who has made a special study of historic firearms and the battles of the G= reat War. He was Senior Curator of Firearms at the Royal Armouries Museum, = Leeds and is the author of many articles in military history journals and m= agazines and has written seven books.

Hitler's Armed SS: The Waffen-SS at War, 1939-1945
Anthony Tucker-Jones
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399006910, $34.95, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hitlers-Armed-SS-Waffen-SS-1939-1945/dp/1399006916

Synopsis: The Waffen-SS was one of the most formidable German military form= ations of the Second World War. It was feared for its tenacity and ruthless= ness in battle, and infamous for the atrocities it committed.

As a distinct fighting force derived from the Nazi Party's SS organization,=
it stood apart from the other units of the German army. Its origins, struc= ture and operational role during the war are often misunderstood and the co= ntroversy still surrounding its conduct make it difficult today to get an a= ccurate picture of its actions and its impact on the fighting.

With the publication of "Hitler's Armed SS: The Waffen-SS at War, 1939-1945=
", military historian Anthony Tucker-Jones provides a concise and fluently = written account that provides the reader with an absorbing and clear sighte=
d introduction to it.

"Hitler's Armed SS" traces its development under Himmler from modest beginn= ings in the early 1930s as Hitler's personal protection squad of elite sold= iers to a force which eventually amounted to thirty-eight divisions. Toward=
s the end of the war many Waffen-SS units were formed from foreign voluntee=
rs and proved to be of poor quality, but its premier panzer divisions thoro= ughly deserved their reputation as tough fighters.

Through accounts of the Waffen-SS's major battles on the Eastern Front, in = Normandy and finally in defense of Germany, a detailed picture emerges of t=
he contribution it made to the German war effort, especially when Hitler's = armies were in retreat. The parts played by the most famous Waffen-SS forma= tions (Das Reich, Totenkopf, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler among them) and = their commanders (men like Dietrich and Hausser) can be seen in the wider c= ontext of the war and Germany's defeat.

Critique: An up-to-date history and assessment of Germany's once elite figh= ting force in the European theatre of World War II, "Hitler's Armed SS: The=
Waffen-SS at War, 1939-1945" is an extraordinarily informed and informativ=
e account that will prove to be a welcome and enduringly appreciated contri= bution to personal, professional, community, and academic library World War=
II history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. Students=
, academia, military buffs, and non- specialist general readers with an int= erest in the subject should note that "Hitler's Armed SS: The Waffen-SS at = War, 1939- 1945" is also availble for personal reading lists in a digital b= ook format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Noe: Anthony Tucker-Jones (https://www.atuckerjones.com) is a for= mer defense intelligence officer and a widely published expert on regional = conflicts, counter-terrorism and armored and aerial warfare. He is the auth=
or of over thirty books, is security and terrorism correspondent for inters= ec, The Journal of International Security.

Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Graham M. Simons
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781848846449, $34.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Consolidated-B-24-Liberator-Images-War/dp/1848846444

Synopsis: The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was almost certainly the most ver= satile World War II Bomber. Apart from its bombing role in all theaters of = operation, the B-24 hauled fuel to France during the push towards Germany, = carried troops, fought U-boats in the Atlantic and, probably most important=
of all, made a vital contribution towards winning the war in the Pacific. = Its most famous single exploit is possibly the raid on the Ploesti oil fiel=
ds in August 1943.

The B-24 ended World War Two as the most produced Allied heavy bomber in hi= story, and the most produced American military aircraft at over 18,000 unit=
s, thanks in large measure to Henry Ford and the harnessing of American ind= ustry. It still holds the distinction as the most produced American militar=
y aircraft. The B-24 was used by several Allied air forces and navies, and =
by every branch of the American armed forces during the war, attaining a di= stinguished war record with its operations in the Western European, Pacific=
, Mediterranean and China-Burma-India theaters.

With the publication of "Consolidated B-24 Liberator", military aviation hi= storian Graham M. Simons focuses on the design, engineering, development an=
d tactical use of the many variants throughout the bomber's service life an=
d presents the reader with all the information available on the B-24!'

Critique: "Consolidated B-24 Liberator " is enhanced for the reader with dr= amatic photographs coupled with the clarity of commentary that creates an e= ngaging and entertaining history of this iconic Allied bomber -- a key comp= onent in several of their biggest victories and a marvel of military engine= ering. While also available for personal the reading lists of students, aca= demia, and military aviation fans in a paperback edition (9781399019651, $2= 6.95) and in digital book format (Kindle, $8.99), "Consolidated B-24 Libera= tor" is recommended as a core addition to World War II History and Military=
Aviation collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: English professional aviation writer, publisher and histori=
an Graham M Simons is one of the founders of the world famous aviation muse=
um at Duxford near Cambridge (https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford) wh= ere his interest was piqued watching the making of the 'Battle of Britain' = film there in the late 1960's and from the days when you could go 'aircraft=
spotting' at London Heathrow and other airports.

Meat Grinder: The Battles for the Rzhev Salient, 1942-43
Prit Buttar
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472851819, $35.00, HC, 464pp

https://www.amazon.com/Meat-Grinder-Battles-Salient-1942-43/dp/1472851811

Synopsis: The fighting between the German and Russian armies in the Rzhev S= alient during World War II was so grisly, so murderous, and saw such vast l= osses that the troops called the campaign 'The Meat Grinder'. Though millio=
ns of men would fight and die there, the Rzhev Salient does not have the na=
me recognition of Leningrad or Moscow. It was simply a vast tract of forest=
s and swamps in the heart of Mother Russia that has been largely ignored by=
Western military historians.

With the publication of "Meat Grinder: The Battles for the Rzhev Salient, 1= 942-43", Prit Buttar, a world expert on the Eastern Front during World War = II, reveals the depth and depravity of the bitter fighting for the Rzhev Sa= lient in this astonishing new history. He details how the long-ignored regi=
on held the promise of a renewed drive on the Soviet capital for the German=
Army -- a chance to turn the tide of war. Using both German and Russian fi= rst-hand accounts, Buttar examines the four major offensives launched by th=
e Red Army against the salient, all of which were defeated with heavy losse=
s, exceeding two million killed, wounded or missing, until eventually, the = Germans were forced to evacuate the salient in March 1943.

Drawing on the latest research, "Meat Grinder" provides a new study of thes=
e horrific battles while also examining how the Red Army did ultimately lea=
rn from its colossal failures and how its analysis of these failures at the=
time helped pave the way for the eventual Soviet victory against Army Grou=
p Centre in the summer of 1944 -- leaving the road to Berlin clear.

Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of Maps, I= llustrations, an eight page listing of 'Dramatis Personae', sixteen pages o=
f Notes, a six page Bibliography, and a seven page Index, "Meat Grinder: Th=
e Battles for the Rzhev Salient, 1942-43" is a comprehensive detailed histo=
ry that is a simply fascinating read from first page to last. A welcome and=
highly prized addition to personal, professional, community, and academic = library World War II Military History collections and supplemental curricul=
um studies lists, it should be noted by students, academia, military histor=
y buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject=
that "Meat Grinder: The Battles for the Rzhev Salient, 1942-43" is also av= ailable in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.46).

Editorial Note: Prit Buttar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prit_Buttar) is =
an established expert on the Eastern Front in 20th-century military history=
.. His previous books include the acclaimed Battleground Prussia: The Assaul=
t on Germany's Eastern Front 1944-45 and Between Giants: The Battle for the=
Baltics in World War II. He is also the author of The Reckoning: The Defea=
t of Army Group South, 1944 (Osprey, 2020). Prit originally studied medicin=
e at Oxford and London before joining the British Army as a doctor. He latt= erly worked as a General Practitioner for several years. He now writes excl= usively from his home in rural Scotland.

Bitter Peleliu
Joseph Wheelan
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B. Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472849502, $30.00, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bitter-Peleliu-Forgotten-Struggle-Battlefield/dp/147= 2849507

Synopsis: In late 1944, and as a precursor to the invasion of the Philippin= es, U.S. military analysts decided to seize the small island of Peleliu to = ensure that the Japanese airfield there could not threaten the invasion for= ces. "Bitter Peleliu: The Forgotten Struggle on the Pacific War's Worst Bat= tlefield" by Joseph Wheelan is important new study that explores the dramat=
ic story of this 'forgotten' battle and the campaign's strategic failings.

"Bitter Peleliu" reveals how U.S. intelligence officers failed to detect th=
e complex network of caves, tunnels, and pillboxes hidden inside the island=
's coral ridges. More importantly, they did not discern (nor could they bef= ore it happened) that the defense of Peleliu would represent a tectonic shi=
ft in Japanese strategy. No more contested enemy landings at the water's ed= ge, no more wild banzai attacks. Now, invaders would be raked on the beache=
s by mortar and artillery fire. Then, as the enemy penetrated deeper into t=
he Japanese defensive systems, he would find himself on ground carefully pr= epared for the purpose of killing as many American soldiers as possible.

For the battle-hardened 1st Marine Division Peleliu was a hornets' nest lik=
e no other. Yet thanks to pre-invasion over-confidence on the part of comma= nders, 30 of the 36 news correspondents accredited for the campaign had lef=
t prior to D-Day. Now some 78 years latter, "Bitter Peleliu" reveals the fu=
ll horror of this 74-day battle, a battle that thanks to the reduced media = presence has never garnered the type of attention it deserves.

Critique: Pacific War historian Joseph Wheelan deftly dissects the American=
intelligence and strategic failings, provides an insightful analyses the s= hift in Japanese tactics, and candescently recreates the Marines' horrific = experiences on the worst of the Pacific battlegrounds. "Bitter Peleliu: The=
Forgotten Struggle on the Pacific War's Worst Battlefield" is a compelling=
, detailed, and comprehensive study rescuing from obscurity a forgotten but=
critically important battle. While also available for the personal reading=
lists of World War II military history buffs, "Bitter Peleliu: The Forgott=
en Struggle on the Pacific War's Worst Battlefield" is a very highly recomm= ended addition to personal, community, and academic library World War II Pa= cific Theatre collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Joseph Wheelan (https://www.josephwheelan.com/biography.htm=
l) is the author of ten books about 19th- and 20th-century American history=
including Midnight in the Pacific (2017) and Bloody Okinawa (2020). Previo= usly, he was an editor and reporter for The Associated Press for 24 years.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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